KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — A senior government official had kept documents from the Prime Minister Department’s (PMD) Research Division in a private condominium in Cyberjaya, Selangor prior to the 14th General Election in late April 2018, the High Court heard today.
Worldbay Network Sdn Bhd executive director Mohd Azmin Hashim who owned a condominium unit in Shaftsbury Residence said that he had been contacted in late April 2018 by Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, who was at that time the Research Division’s deputy director.
“On September 2017, I had rented a condominium unit in Shaftsbury Residence, Cyberjaya to be used as a worker’s lodging while functioning as the company’s satellite office to train personnel from the PMD’s Research Division since my company is located in Subang Jaya, Selangor.
“At the end of April 2018, Datuk Ruslin called me and enquire if he could use the condominium for two weeks as a place to store documents belonging to the Research Division.
“I agreed to it and allowed for Datuk Ruslin to borrow the unit on the grounds of trust and needs of the Research Division at that time. However, I do not know the nature of the said documents,” Mohd Azmin told the court.
He was testifying as the fourth prosecution witness in the former director-general of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid’s RM50.4 million criminal breach of trust trial.
Mohd Azmin, whose nature of business involved the procurement of communication surveillance devices for the interception of cellular phones and instant messages, said he was also previously contracted by the Malaysian government to supply the aforementioned technologies between August 2017 and October 2018.
He also told the court he was acquainted with Hasanah and Ruslin when he had submitted a presentation on one of the surveillance devices which took place at the Prime Minister’s Department around 2016.
“My relationship with Datuk Ruslin and Datuk Hasanah is strictly business only,” he added.
Shortly after agreeing to Ruslin’s request, Mohd Azmin said he was specifically told not to visit the condominium unit throughout the two-weeks period until after being informed roughly two months later that the condominium has been cleared out for him to move back in.
When asked further, Mohd Azmin said the condominium unit was left in an orderly manner without anything being out of the ordinary.
On October 25, 2018, Hasanah pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to a CBT charge involving RM50.4 million belonging to the Malaysian government.
Hasanah, in her capacity as a civil servant, is alleged to have committed the offence at the office of the director-general, Research Division, Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre in Putrajaya between April 30 and May 9, 2018.
She was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping and fine, upon conviction.
