Court to decide on Ahmad Maslan’s application to strike out money laundering, false statement charges on July 24

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The Sessions Court here fixed July 24 to decide on the application by Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan to strike out charges of money laundering and providing a false statement to Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission officers (MACC).

Sessions court judge Azman Ahmad set the date after hearing submissions by Ahmad’s lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh and deputy public prosecutor Mohd Mukhzany Fariz Mohd Mokhtar.

Following the hearing today, Hamidi explained to the press that the application was made as the charges against Ahmad are groundless.

He stated that his client had never received any monies from then Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“My argument today, firstly, is Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan never received the RM2 million, he had not received the cheque.

“So when the issue of receiving [the monies] never occurred, there is no issue of undeclared tax and when there is no issue of undeclared tax, then there is no issue of violating Section 113(1)(a) and thus there is no issue of violating Section 4(1)(a),” he said, referring to the charges against Ahmad.

During the hearing, Fariz stated that Ahmad’s application is premature as the facts of the case have not been deliberated in court yet.

Fariz argued that the court should deny the application and proceed with the trial so that the prosecution can present their witnesses to provide evidence in court.

On Jan 21, the Pontian MP pleaded not guilty to both charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLA) Act 2001.

In the first charge, Ahmad was accused of accepting a cheque of RM2 million and failing to declare the amount to the Inland Revenue Board and therefore have violated Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967.

In the second charge, he was accused of providing false statements to a MACC officer by stating that he had not received the cheque worth RM2 million from Najib.

Ahmad allegedly received the AmIslamic bank cheque from Najib dated November 27, 2013 and banked in the monies the same day.

He allegedly committed the crime under the second charge in Parliament’s press conference room on July 4, 2019.