KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Highway construction company director Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed was charged at the Sessions Court today with four counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving more than RM313 million and 13 counts of money laundering involving RM139.2 million.
The charges are in connection with the proposed MEX II highway construction project.
Present in a wheelchair, Abu Sahid, 74, a director of Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, pleaded not guilty to all charges after they were read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.
The court granted him bail of RM1.5 million with one surety for all charges, and ordered him to surrender his passport until the conclusion of the case.
The court has set Nov 3 for the case mention.
In his capacity as a director entrusted with dominion over the company funds, Abu Sahid is accused of dishonestly misappropriating a sum exceeding RM313 million held in an account at a bank in Bukit Tunku, Taman Tunku, between May 3, 2016, and Oct 21, 2019.
The four charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries an imprisonment term of between two and twenty years, and is liable to the possibility of caning and a fine, upon conviction.
Concurrently, on the first to tenth charges for money laundering, Abu Sahid is accused of transferring proceeds from unlawful activities, totalling RM116,449,536.12, from his personal bank account to five individuals and four construction companies.
On a further three counts of money laundering, he is charged with disposing of proceeds from unlawful activities, totalling RM22,802,612.86, by withdrawing cash via 17 cheques drawn from his account at the same bank between May 4, 2016, and Sept 19, 2018.
The money laundering charges were brought under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
It prescribes a maximum penalty of fifteen years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of the unlawful activity, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib submitted that both the prosecution and defence had agreed to the bail amount of RM1.5 million with one surety for all charges.
The prosecution further applied for the CBT and money laundering charges to be tried jointly.
Abu Sahid’s defence counsel, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, confirmed the agreement and did not object to the prosecution’s application for a joint trial.
Sessions Court Judge Suzana Hussin then allowed the prosecution’s application for a joint trial. — Bernama
Malay Mail – Malaysia
