Court postpones decision on former KBS senior officer's corruption, money laundering case to May 12

KUALA LUMPUR - The Sessions Court today set a new date, May 12, to decide on the corruption and money laundering case involving former Secretary of the Finance Division, Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) Otman Arsahd.

Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Otman, 64, said the court set the new date after the defence requested for a postponement to allow more time for them to file their submission.

Following that, the court vacated today’s date and set May 12 for the decision, he said when contacted today.

The court had set today for the decision of the case before Judge Kamarudin Kamsun.

On March 31, 2016, Otman was charged with 32 counts of abuse of power and with submitting false claims involving RM38.4 million at National Sports Council Office (MSN), Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex here between Feb 28, 2012, and Nov 18, 2015.

The 17 charges of allegedly submitting false claims were framed under Section 18 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act (MACC) 2009, while the remaining 15 charges of abuse of power were under Section 23 (1) of the same Act.

On April 2016, Otman was charged with 64 counts of receiving RM16,623,000 in proceeds from unlawful activities through cheques that were deposited into his Maybank, RHB and CIMB Berhad accounts between March 7, 2012, and Dec 11, 2015.

He was alleged to have committed the offences at different locations, including the RHB Bank branch in Precinct 8, Putrajaya, Menara Maybank, Jalan Tun Perak, and the Maybank branch in Jalan Raja.

The charges were framed under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years, or a fine not less than five times the sum of the proceeds from unlawful activities, if convicted.

A total of 70 prosecution witnesses were called to testify in the trial. - BERNAMA