KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — The case of a property developer who was charged with bribing former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor with RM1 million to raise the ratio of development in Jalan Semarak here has been transferred to the High Court.
High Court Judge Mohamad Zaini Mazlan made the decision after allowing an application by the prosecution led by deputy public prosecutor Lailawati Ali to transfer the corruption case of Datuk Tan Eng Boon, 70, from the Sessions Court to the High Court.
However, Mohamed Zaini rejected an application by counsel Faisal Moideen who is representing Tan for a temporary stay of the decision to transfer the case to the High Court while awaiting instructions from his client.
Mohamed Zaini turned down the application on the grounds the defence had ample time to do so considering the case has not been registered with the High Court.
The judge also said after the corruption case had been registered with the High Court, the prosecution can apply for the case to heard with the corruption case faced by Tengku Adnan.
This followed Lailawati’s announcement that the prosecution would be applying for Tan’s case to be tried together with Tengku Adnan’s case, however Faisal protested against the application.
On November 15, 2018, Tan who is also a director of property development company pleaded not guilty to giving bribes amounting to RM1 million to Tengku Adnan via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd which was deposited into the CIMB Bank account owned by Tengku Adnan.
Tan was charged with making the payment to Tengku Adnan to approve an application of Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) to increase the plot ratio for the development at Lot 228, Jalan Semarak, here.
Tan was charged with committing the offence at Putra World Trade Centre branch of CIMB Bank Berhad in Jalan Tun Ismail here on December 27, 2013 under Section 16(b) (A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and can be sentenced under sub-section 24(1) of the same act.
If found guilty, the accused could be jailed a maximum of 20 years and fine not less than five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher.
Tan also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of abetting with the offence by Tengku Adnan as a public servant, the Federal Territories Minister who received for himself RM1 million cash from Tan through a Public Bank cheque of the Pekan Nenas company which was deposited into Tengku Adnan’s CIMB Bank’s account when Adnan knew Tan as the director of Nucleus Properties, who has dealings relating to Tengku Adnan’s official duty.
Tan was charged with committing the offence under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with Section 165 of the same code which carries a maximum of two years jail or fine or both, upon conviction. — Bernama
