Muhyiddin trial: Tengku Zafrul to give evidence on July 6 - Prosecution

KUALA LUMPUR - Former finance minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz will give his statement in the corruption and money laundering trial involving Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on July 6 at the High Court here.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin announced the matter after Assistant Registrar of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) R.Harshini, who is also the 10th prosecution witness, finished giving his statement at the trial of the case before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin.

"On the trial date of July 6, we plan to call Tengku Zafrul, who is the 11th prosecution witness," he said, who is handling the case with DPP Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Noralis Mat and Wan Nur Iman Wan Ahmad Afzal.

Lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, who is representing Muhyiddin, requested that the prosecution submit Tengku Zafrul's witness statement before the senior political adviser to the Prime Minister is called to give his statement on July 6.

Noor Ruwena then ordered the prosecution to submit Tengku Zafrul's witness statement on or before June 20 to the defence.

In the proceedings, Wan Shaharuddin requested that tomorrow's trial date be vacated as a prosecution witness was unable to attend because he had applied for early leave.

Noor Ruwena also asked the parties to give priority to the case as it was a high-profile case in the public eye, in addition to setting additional dates for the trial of the case on Sept 1, 2, 3 and 14.

"I hope that this prosecution case can be resolved on Sept 14 before both parties file their arguments, besides the court also needs to examine all the (witness) evidence," she said.

Muhyiddin, 78, who at the time of the incident held the positions of Prime Minister and Bersatu president, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totaling RM225.3 million in relation to the Jana Wibawa Project from three companies, namely Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd as well as Datuk Azman Yusoff for the Bersatu party.

He is charged with committing the act at the Prime Minister's Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020 and August 20, 2021 under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

The Pagoh MP also faces three charges of receiving proceeds from illegal activities totaling RM200 million from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd which were deposited into Bersatu's Ambank and CIMB Bank accounts at the bank's branches in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022.

For the offence, he was charged under Section 4(1)(b) read with Section 87(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of five times the value of the proceeds from illegal activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher. - BERNAMA