DESPITE facing charges of money laundering involving RM15 million today, Umno legal adviser Mohd Hafarizam Harun said he is still Najib Razak’s lawyer. 

“I’m still acting for him on two matters, which is Tony Pua’s public officer on top of public misfeasance (suit) and there’s also another matter with respect to injunction in a defamation case.

“So, there are two proceedings I’ll still be acting for Datuk Seri Najib,” he said after claiming trial to two money laundering charges at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today. 

He is accused of depositing cheques belonging to Najib amounting to RM15 million into a clients’ account at his law firm.

The offences allegedly occurred in 2014 and 2015, and were linked to the former prime minister’s AmIslamic Bank cheques deposited into the law firm’s account at CIMB Bank.

Hafarizam, 46, was granted bail of RM500,000 in one surety by Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Azman Ahmad, who set case mention for March 25. 

“Today, the matter has finally reached the court, where I have been charged with two counts of money laundering. I can’t say much because the matter is now in court and it is subjudice. I’m leaving it to my team of lawyers.”

“To proffer my defence, I will take this opportunity to clear my name in due course,” he said. 

Asked to comment on the fact that he is the second Umno lawyer, after Shafee Abdullah, to be charged with criminal offences, Hafarizam replied: “I can’t comment because the matter is now in court and it will be subjudice to comment.”

The Malaysian Insight, citing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission sources, had reported that Hafarizam and Najib’s former media adviser, Paul Geoffrey Stadlen, are allegedly connected to RM15 million of funds linked to 1MDB.

Yesterday, an arrest warrant was issued for British national Stadlen, who fled the country after the defeat of former prime minister in the 14th general election.

On whether Stadlen had recently contacted him, Hafarizam declined to comment. 

Two money laundering charges against Stadlen were registered with the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court yesterday.

In the first charge, Stadlen is accused of ordering a series of payments through 27 transactions, which were allegedly proceeds from illegal activities amounting to RM8,111,322.43 from an account of a client of the law firm, Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, to several individuals and companies between June and December, 2014.

For the second charge, he was alleged to have ordered the transfer of RM6,139,078.34, which were proceeds from illegal activities, through 16 transactions from the account of the same client of the law firm to individuals and companies between January and August 2015.

The prosecution was conducted by the MACC. – February 21, 2019.