FORMER Tabung Haji (TH) chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and his brother, Abdul Latif, claimed trial to 14 counts of money laundering and bribery at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today.

Azeez pleaded not guilty to nine counts of money laundering and a further three counts of bribery while his brother claimed trial to two counts of abetting the Baling MP in receiving the bribes.

Azeez and Abdul Latif were released on RM800,000 and RM500,000 bail, respectively. 

Both Azeez, dressed in a black suit, and Abdul Latif, who wore a blue long-sleeved shirt, appeared calm. 

The duo’s lead cousel, Hisyam Teh, did not object to lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram’s request for them to surrender their passports. 

Hisyam also did not object to the request by the prosecution to transfer the duo’s case to the High Court. 

Judge Azura Alwi set March 27 for mention of the case.   

Azeez was accused of receiving RM139.4 million between March 2010 to August 30 last year from four companies – Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd, Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd, Pintas Utama Sdn Bhd and AVP Engineering Sdn Bhd.

Azeez was charged with nine counts of violating Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001. If convicted, he faces a maximum jail sentence of 15 years and RM5 million fine.

Azeez was also accused of receiving an additional RM5.2 million on three occasions between December 2010 and April last year as inducement for approving government projects.  

He was charged with three counts of violating Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009. If convicted, he faces a maximum jail sentence of 20 years or a fine of five times the bribery amount. 

In the first charge, Azeez was accused of receiving RM1.2 million from Menuju Asa director Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah on December 8, 2010, as gratification for approving road construction projects in Perak and Kedah worth RM197.8 million. 

In the second and third charges, Azeez was accused of receiving RM4 million from Redzuan on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018, as gratification for assisting and approving road upgrade works from Teluk Intan to Kampung Lekir, Perak, worth RM644.48 million. 

Abdul Latif, meanwhile, was charged with two counts of abetting his brother to obtain up to RM4 million in bribes, relating to the RM5.2 million his brother was accused of receiving from Redzuan. If convicted, he faces a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to five times the amount received.

Azeez was initially arrested by the MACC on September 15 and remanded for 10 days to assist in investigations involving TH project tenders. He was released on a RM500,000 bail.

Azeez became TH chairman in 2013 after being elected Baling MP under the Barisan Nasional government. He is still a member of Parliament.

He oversaw TH when it bought a plot of land at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) for RM189 million from debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in 2015.

The deal was controversial as TH had bought the land at below-market price. The purchase was speculated to be a bailout for 1MDB.

He resigned as TH chairman on May 14 last year.

The same month, MACC launched investigations into Azeez, raiding three of his properties and seizing RM500,000 and nearly RM1.2 million in other currencies, and watches.

Azeez had said the money belonged to Baling Umno and that he had withdrawn the sum for zakat payments ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. – January 16, 2019.