Former youth and sports minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman asked to be tried on two charges of abetting in money laundering amounting to RM100,000.
The Muar MP asked to be tried when the two charges were read to him at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court this morning.
Pursuant to two charges under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Illegal Activities Act 2001, he was charged with engaging in the transfer of funds twice on 16 and 19 June 2018.
For every transfer at Maybank Islamic Berhad, Taman Perling in Johor Bahru, he is alleged to have transferred RM50,000 from a Maybank Islamic Berhad account to an Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
Earlier, on July 22 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, the former Bersatu Youth chief asked to be tried on charges of misusing RM1.12 million from his former political party, Bersatu.
During the preliminary proceedings, the prosecution told the Kuala Lumpur lower court that the 28 -year -old politician would face further charges in the Johor Bahru Sessions Court.
The prosecution later revealed that they would seek to transfer the Johor Bahru Sessions Court cases to be heard along with other Syed Saddiq cases before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
If convicted on one of the two new charges, Syed Saddiq will face a maximum jail term of 15 years; and may also be fined not less than five times the amount of alleged illegal proceeds, or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
Defendant’s counsel Gobind Singh Deo confirmed the outcome of the proceedings before judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail this morning.
“(Syed Saddiq) asked to be tried. The case (has) been transferred to KL (Sessions Court).
“(Today’s case has been) set to be mentioned in KL with two other cases on September 10,” the lawyer said when contacted.
Gobind added that in relation to bail, the court allowed Syed Saddiq to be released on the same bail previously set by the lower court in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier on July 22, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court allowed the accused to be released on bail of RM330,000 with one surety.
Syed Saddiq paid bail of RM80,000 that day and the remaining RM250,000 through public funding.
On July 17 last year, the MACC interrogated Syed Saddiq for 11 hours over a report he had made a few months earlier in March amounting to RM250,000 he claimed had been stolen from his home.
He claimed that most of the money lost was to fund the renovation of his house in Petaling Jaya. Of the amount lost, it is alleged that RM90,000 belonged to him, and RM50,000 belonged to his mother and RM70,000 belonged to his father.
The incident took place amid unrest in Bersatu where Syed Saddiq sided with Langkawi MP and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who led the group that was ousted from the party.
