FORMER federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had twice asked a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) mayor to defer payment by a developer for the sale of two plots of DBKL land, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

The developer was Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, which is said to have had enjoyed a close relationship with Tengku Adnan while he was minister.

Former mayor Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz testified of Tengku Adnan’s involvement in getting payment deferred and also named Aset Kayamas during the ex-minister’s RM2 million corruption trial today.

Tengku Adnan is charged with receiving RM2 million from an Aset Kayamas director, Chia Kin Kong, that was deposited into a bank account under Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd, where the former minister is the largest shareholder.

“In the first letter dated August 26, 2015, Aset Kayamas sought to postpone the first 10% of payment from the land sale, for three months, and also sought to reduce the price of the two land.

“The two pieces of land in Bandar Tun Razak were purchased by Aset Kayamas before I was the mayor and it was approved by the minister.

“The minister made a note asking me to consider their application (to defer payment),” Amin told the court.

The first payment would have amounted to RM2.36 million. DBKL agreed to postpone the payment of 10% on the amount until December 2015, Amin said.

In February 2016, Aset Kayamas again made a similar request with another letter. 

Amin received the letter that came attached with a note from Tengku Adnan, asking him as mayor to agree to the postponed payment and a reduction in the price of the land from 20% to 10%.

“We allowed the request once again. I had to obey his instructions as he was the minister,” Amin said.

The lead counsel for the defence, Tan Hock Chuan, asked Amin whether he as mayor had the power to decide on such a matter.

“Maybe, but I did not dare to make the decision,” Amin said.

Amin resigned as mayor last September.

Tengku Adnan’s alleged offence of receiving RM2 million from Aset Kayamas was committed on June 14, 2016. The charge, under Section 165 of the Penal Code, provides for a jail term of up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

During trial yesterday, the deputy public prosecutor told the court that the funds were meant for by-election campaign purposes.

Tengku Adnan, who is former Umno secretary-general and sitting MP for Putrajaya, faces another charge of accepting a bribe of RM1 million from businessman Tan Eng Boon to raise the plot ratio for a project in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur, in 2013. This case will be heard in September. – July 3, 2019.