SEVERAL officers of the Prime Minister’s Department’s Research Division were seen pulling black and red bags and suitcases in and out of the floors housing the offices of former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation director-general Hasanah Ab Hamid and her deputies.

This was based on several closed-circuit television (CCTV) clips from 163 CCTV files screened for almost one hour at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today during her trial, who allegedly committed criminal breach of trust involving US$12.1 million (RM50.4 million) when she was director-general of the division.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Farid Ahmad Kamal played the CCTV recordings during his examination-in-chief of Badri Azni, 37, an investigating officer at the Technological Forensic Division of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters. 

The recordings showed several men moving the luggage via the lifts on levels one and seven and car porch of Block B4 on April 30 and May 9, 2018.

However, the court was not told of the contents of the luggage.

When asked by Hasanah’s lawyer Muhammad Ashraff Mohd Diah during cross-examination on whether the accused was seen in the hundreds of files shown in court today, Badri, the eighth prosecution witness, said: “No.”

Another witness Norrashid Mahmud, 59, a former auxiliary policeman at the department, said he could recognise all the individuals seen in the CCTV recordings.

“They are administrative and diplomatic officers at Block 4,” the ninth prosecution witness said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari on the sixth day of the trial.

When reading out his witness statement, Norrashid said he knew all the officers and staff in the division because he worked there for more than 20 years before retiring on October 20 last year.

On October 25, 2018, Hasanah, 64, claimed trial to a charge that as a civil servant, the director-general of research in the Prime Minister’s Department, she committed criminal breach of trust involving US$12.1 million belonging to the Malaysian government.

She is alleged to have committed the offence at the director-general’s office, Research Division, Prime Minister’s Department, Kompleks JPM, Federal Administrative Complex, Putrajaya between April 30 and May 9, 2018.

The charge under Section 409 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to 20 years, and whipping and fine.

The hearing before judge Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh resumes on Monday.

However, the trial will be held in-camera from April 12 to 16, as 11 prosecution witnesses will be giving evidence involving issues of national security. – Bernama, April 7, 2021.