{"id":14230,"date":"2022-07-05T12:37:17","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T04:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newmalaysiatimes.com\/?p=14230"},"modified":"2022-07-05T12:37:18","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T04:37:18","slug":"syed-saddiq-ordered-rm1-million-withdrawal-from-armadas-account-witness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newmalaysiatimes.com\/?p=14230","title":{"rendered":"Syed Saddiq ordered RM1 million withdrawal from Armada’s account – witness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5<\/strong> —\u00a0The High Court was told today that Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had ordered the withdrawal of RM1 million from the\u00a0Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia\u2019s (Bersatu)\u00a0Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda\u2019s (Armada) account for fear\u00a0that there would be a change in the party\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Armada assistant secretary Ahmad Redzuan Mohamed Shafi, 32, said Syed Saddiq told him that he had the right to use the money in the Central Armada\u2019s (CIMB) account which he had sourced through donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the special officer to the Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin, a meeting was held at Syed Saddiq\u2019s house in Petaling Jaya, Selangor in early March 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe meeting was attended by me and Rafiq Hakim Razali (Armada assistant treasurer). We\u00a0discussed about the change in\u00a0government and Armada\u2019s position in the government because YB Syed Saddiq was in the opposition bloc along with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Syed<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYB Syed Saddiq has ordered Rafiq Hakim and I to withdraw money amounting to RM1 million\u00a0from the Armada\u2019s\u00a0account,\u201d<\/em> he said\u00a0when reading his witness\u00a0statement at the trial of\u00a0Syed Saddiq, who faces four charges related to criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 11th prosecution witness said Syed Saddiq said the money had to be withdrawn from the account to strengthen his position as the Armada Chief in the event of any internal party crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad Redzuan said only him and Rafiq Hakim were called by Syed Saddiq to attend the meeting because they were the trustee signatories of CIMB Bank Armada Pusat cheques and only the three of them knew about the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRafiq Hakim and I withdrew RM1 million from Armada\u2019s official account on March 6, 2020 at\u00a0the instruction\u00a0of YB Syed Saddiq.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c(However), YB Syed Saddiq did not tell me and Rafiq Hakim whether the withdrawal had\u00a0received permission of the Bersatu \u00a0Supreme Leadership Council\u00a0(MPT),\u201d<\/em> said Ahmad Redzuan who informed that Syed Saddiq had also told him the money was\u00a0meant for party use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The witness also said that he had suggested to Rafiq Hakim to keep the money at Mohd Daniel\u2019s house because the latter had a safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad Redzuan said Rafiq Hakim agreed to his suggestion and after the money was withdrawn from the account, Rafiq Hakim brought the money to his house before handing it to Mohd Daniel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The witness added that he only knew that Syed Saddiq\u2019s order was an offence after being summoned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on June 3, 2020 for violating Clause 24 of the Bersatu Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad Redzuan said according to Clause 24, the Treasurer-General is only allowed to keep retail cash of not exceeding RM50,000 at a time and the money must be kept in a safe place in a Registered Office for the party\u2019s retail expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said expenditure in excess of RM500,000 at any one time is not allowed without the prior permission of MPT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI confirm that YB Syed Saddiq himself cannot withdraw cash from the CIMB Bank\u00a0account under\u00a0the name of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Armada Pusat) without instructing me and Rafiq Hakim to do so.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRegarding the RM1 million issue, although the approval was issued by YB Syed Saddiq to me and Rafiq Hakim to withdraw the money, it violates the ethics of withdrawing money from Armada\u2019s account,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0he said, adding that\u00a0he had to abide by Syed Saddiq\u2019s instructions given his capacity as the Armada chief and also Muar MP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the first charge, Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged as the then Bersatu\u2019s youth wing or Armada chief \u2013 who was entrusted with control of Armada funds \u2013 of abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, Armada\u2019s assistant treasurer at the time, with CBT of RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is alleged to have committed the offence at CIMB Bank Berhad, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020, and is charged under Section 406 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment for up to 10 years with whipping, and is liable to a fine, if found guilty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the second charge, the accused is charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Berhad account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syed Saddiq is accused of having committed the offence at Malayan Banking Berhad, Jalan Pandan 3\/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya here, between April 8 and 21, 2018, and charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a minimum jail term of six months and a maximum of five years with whipping, and is punishable by a fine, if convicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities, namely two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Berhad account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syed Saddiq is accused of committing the offence at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid continues tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NMT<\/a> as reported by Bernama<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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