A FORMER Bersatu Youth exco today told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he was not lying when testifying against Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, instead, he was afraid of being charged in court for another case.

Abdul Hannaan Khairy, 29, said his testimony that the Muar MP asked him to backdate a quotation and receipt amounting to RM250,000 in relation to the wing’s souvenirs was true, but he did not remember the exact “backdated” date.

“I was not lying, but I was afraid of being charged in court,” he said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin at the trial of Syed Saddiq, who faces four charges related to criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.

The 10th prosecution witness said that he would not have asked Muhammad Naqib Ab Rahim, who was then a member of Bersatu, to backdate two documents if Syed Saddiq had not asked him to do so.

Earlier, during cross-examination by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing Syed Saddiq, the witness admitted he was in fear when testifying in court today.

Gobind: Why are you afraid, has the MACC asked you about other cases?

Hannaan: Yes. 

Gobind: You are afraid of being accused of other cases? 

Hannan: Yes. 

Gobind: You are willing to testify (in court), in return you are not charged in another case. 

Hannaan: Your Honour, may I go to the toilet? 

After hearing the witness’ request, judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid asked Hannaan to answer the question from the lawyer first, to which Hannaan replied “yes”. 

Meanwhile, Hannaan, who is now editor of Serius Kool Media Sdn Bhd, said he was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on June 4, 2020, after receiving a phone call from Muhammad Saufi Yusof to pick him up from the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.

“I left Southville City at 11pm to fetch him ( Saufi) and arrived there around midnight. When I entered the MACC lobby, I couldn’t call him and waited for Saufi to come out. While I was waiting in the car, suddenly two or three MACC men ran towards me and asked me to get out of the car,” he said.

Asked by Gobind why the MACC arrested him, the witness replied: “In relation to the loss of RM250,000.”

According to Hannaan, he was also questioned about the Volkswagen vehicle he had bought in 2020 and was worried action would be taken by the MACC regarding the purchase of the car. 

He added that the car was returned to him a year after confiscation by the MACC. 

The witness said he was disappointed by how MACC officers treated his wife while interrogating her, including verbally insulting her, and he lodged a police report to protect himself from being threatened by outsiders.

According to the first charge, Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged as then Bersatu Youth chief – who was entrusted with control of Armada funds – of abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, the wing’s assistant treasurer at the time, with CBT of RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 on March 6, 2020, and is charged under Section 406 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment for up to 10 years with whipping, and is liable to a fine, if found guilty.

For the second charge, the accused is charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money.

Syed Saddiq is accused of having committed the offence at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, between April 8 and 21, 2018, and is charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a minimum jail term of six months to maximum of five years with whipping, and a fine, if convicted.

He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities, namely, two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.

Syed Saddiq is accused of committing the offence at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.

The trial before Azhar continues tomorrow. – Bernama, July 4, 2022.