KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) intentionally delayed prosecuting Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman to apply political pressure on the former minister, the High Court heard today.
Defence counsel for Syed Saddiq, Gobind Singh Deo, today accused the MACC of stalling the investigations from January until July 2021, claiming there were instructions to do so from the upper echelons of power.
He did so while questioning MACC investigating officer Mohd Syahmeizy Sulong, who was in charge of the investigation into the RM1 million allegedly withdrawn from the bank account of Armada, the Youth wing of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Syahmeizy replied that he had not spoken to Syed Saddiq during his investigation while the order to prosecute came from his direct superior at the commission.
When Gobind countered that another MACC officer, Mohd Ishan Sapuan, had been in close contact with with Syed Saddiq, Syahmeizy disagreed.
Gobind: So, you’re not aware of Ihsan calling my client around four times to keep telling him to be prepared to face court and prosecution?
Syahmeizy: I’m not aware.
Gobind: OK but since January you said your investigation papers were ready?
Syahmeizy: Yes
Gobind: Then why didn’t prosecute then? Orders only came on July 13. Who gave the orders?
Syahmeizy: Chief of B Division Tuan Abdul Malik.
Gobind: So, orders came from above and only then you acted, so meaning if no instructions came from above, you wouldn’t arrest my client?
Syahmeizy: Yes
Gobind: Weird, isn’t it? The deputy public prosecutor gave you free reign to prosecute him but your officers said wait. No arrest also.
Syahmeizy then said there were five investigation papers opened against Syed Saddiq and the authorities needed to synchronise them all to ensure they were in proper order before they could take action.
He said that was the reason for the delay, and that some investigation papers still needed to be synchronised with the current ones.
Gobind then asked why Syed Saddiq arrested in July 2021 when not all the investigation papers were synchronised, to which Syahmeizy replied that the order for this came then.
“You’re not telling the truth. You were just waiting to arrest Syed Saddiq and you were told by your superiors to wait before arresting him,” Gobind insisted.
In March 2020, Syed Saddiq lodged a police report on the theft of RM250,000 from a safe in his house although there were no signs of forced entry. It prompted an investigation from the MACC.
In July 2022, he was hit with his first corruption charge. Still the Armada chief, then Syed Saddiq was accused of abetting the party’s assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razaliin committing CBT of the wing’s funds amounting to RM1 million.
He allegedly committed the offence at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.
He is also charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
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 Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account, on June 16 and 19, 2018.
He was later hit with a second charge of misappropriating RM120,000 belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise in Maybank Islamic Berhad for his own use, which allegedly resulted in Rafiq disposing of the money.
The RM120,000 was allegedly political contributions for the 14th general election campaign raised through party activities.
