KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was today charged with corruptly receiving RM3 million during his time in power, linked to 15 property projects mainly for affordable housing and 19 plots of Kuala Lumpur land totalling at least 100-odd acres.
Tengku Adnan was federal territories minister from May 2013 to May 2018 under the then-Barisan Nasional (BN) administration, a position which saw him overseeing the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Tengku Adnan, 68, today pleaded not guilty to corruptly receiving the RM3 million funds in December 2013 and June 2016 from property developers.
Tengku Adnan’s charges
Under the first charge, Tengku Adnan was alleged to have corruptly received for himself — as a public servant in his role as federal territories minister — a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque of RM2 million owned by property developer Aset Kayamas from the latter’s chairman Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong, with the cheque deposited through Tadmansori Holding Sdn Bhd’s CIMB account.
He was accused of having done so while knowing that Aset Kayamas and the companies under the group — SInerjuta, Faber Vista, Era Ecoland, Garuda Searah and Ujana Mutiara — had an official working relationship with his department in relation to an apartment project and proposed land purchases for 13 property projects.
All in all, the proposed land purchases were linked to 19 plots of land in Kuala Lumpur, including one plot of 8,500 square metres or 2.1 acres of government land in Taman Metro Prima and one plot of 21 acres of land on part of the city’s recreational park Taman Metropolitan Kepong.
The affordable housing project at Taman Metropolitan Kepong was a joint venture with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), an agency which came under Tengku Adnan’s purview.
The Kuala Lumpur land involved include those in Bandar Baru Sentul, Bukit Jalil, Old Klang Road, Kampung Pandan, Taman Desa, Setapak, Kuchai Lama and Petaling, as well as a plot of land at the junction of Jalan Padang Tembak and Jalan Keramat.
All this land comes up to at least 102.45 acres, which is the equivalent of about 58 of Bukit Jalil Stadium’s football fields.
Many of the proposed land purchases were for affordable housing projects, including those that were projects with a combination of housing priced below RM200,000 as well as pricier units.
The first charge was said to have occurred on June 14, 2016.
For the alternative charge, Tengku Adnan was charged with obtaining for himself — as a public servant in his capacity as federal territories minister — a Public Bank cheque for RM1 million owned by Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd from property developer Datuk Tan Eng Boon through Tengku Adnan’s bank account in CIMB.
Under the alternative charge, Tengku Adnan was alleged to have accepted the RM1 million cheque while knowing that Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) had official dealings with his department in relation to the bid to increase the plot ratio for a development project on Jalan Semarak in Kuala Lumpur.
The plot ratio for a property project determines its density or how much floor area a developer can build on a plot of land, which is typically key to maximising the use or profit obtainable from a land.
The alternative charge was alleged to have occurred on December 27, 2013.
These two charges against Tengku Adnan over the alleged corrupt receipt of RM3 million as a public servant were brought under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which is punishable by jail of up to two years or fine or both.
Tengku Adnan, who is currently Putrajaya MP and former Umno secretary-general, today was granted bail of RM1 million after he claimed trial to these two charges.
Property developer Tan’s charges
Datuk Tan Eng Boon, the property tycoon implicated in Tengku Adnan’s charges, was also brought to the Kuala Lumpur court complex to be charged separately.
Tan, 70, was charged with corruptly giving the same RM1 million cheque mentioned above to Tengku Adnan at a CIMB bank branch at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).
The charge alleges that the RM1 million was given as a “reward” for Tengku Adnan’s approval of the application by Nucleus Properties (now Paragon City Development) to increase the plot ratio for a property project on Jalan Semarak.
Tan is alleged to have committed the offence under Section 16(b)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which covers the crime of giving a bribe to someone as a reward for a person doing something because of the transaction.
The offence is punishable by a maximum jail term of 20 years, and a fine of RM10,000, or five times the sum of the bribe, whichever is higher.
As for the alternative charge, Tan is charged with allegedly helping Tengku Adnan to allegedly commit the crime of accepting the RM1 million cheque as a public servant, when the latter knew that Tan as a director in Nucleus Properties “had a connection with his official function”.
For the alternative charge where Tan is alleged to have abetted Tengku Adnan’s Section 165 offence, it is punishable with a jail term of up to two years, or fine or both.
The alternative charge is said to have occurred on the same day at the same place as the first charge.
Tan was granted bail today at RM700,000 after pleading not guilty to the offences.
