THE former assistant treasurer of Bersatu’s youth wing told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had instructed him to “clear” (dispose of) RM1 million withdrawn from the party’s account because the Muar MP was being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Rafiq Hakim Razali, 32, said he received a WhatsApp call from Syed Saddiq around March and the end of April saying that MACC had conducted a search at the politician’s residence.

The 13th prosecution witness said Syed Saddiq also instructed him to distribute RM650,000 to Kuala Lumpur Bersatu Youth information chief Muhammad Daniel Kusari and RM250,000 to Muhammad Naqib Ab Rahim, a Bersatu member at the time.

“He (Syed Saddiq) instructed him to ‘clear’ the money, which I was holding at that time. I distributed it to Naqib and Daniel,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin at the trial of Syed Saddiq, who faces four charges relating to criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money-laundering.

To a question by Wan Shaharuddin as to why Syed Saddiq asked him to “clear” the money, Rafiq replied: “He (Syed Saddiq) was afraid the money would be confiscated.”

The witness said the RM1 million was kept in his house before being distributed to Daniel and Naqib.

Wan Shaharuddin: Where were the RM250,000 and RM650,000 distributed from?

Rafiq: In the area around my house.  

Wan Shaharuddin: Where did the RM250,000 and RM650,000 come from?

Rafiq: The money came from the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Armada account (and) from a withdrawal of RM1 million.

Wan Shahruddin: By right, it should have been RM900,000, (so) what happened to the (remaining) RM100,000?

Rafiq: To my recollection, I used it for Armada programmes and those were all instructions from YB Syed Saddiq.

Asked if he would have withdrawn the money if he had not received any instruction from Syed Saddiq to do so, Rafiq replied: “No”. 

He said prior to making the RM1 million withdrawal, Syed Saddiq had asked him for the account balance, to which he said there was about RM1.8 million.

When asked by Wan Shaharuddin whether he understood what was meant by the MACC investigation, Rafiq replied: “At that time there was the case of the missing RM250,000 and the MACC had come to YB Syed Saddiq’s house to investigate”. 

Rafiq said he only knew that Syed Saddiq had lost RM250,000 from his house safe. He said the politician did not state the money belonged to his parents or to pay for house renovation use, but only that it was from political donations.

To another question, the witness said he was still friends with Syed Saddiq, and had even met the politician during Ramadan recently where they discussed a baju melayu project in Syed Saddiq’s house.

“YB Syed Saddiq also agreed to carry out the project,”  Rafiq Hakim said. 

Wan Shaharuddin: At that time, did he (Syed Saddiq) say anything about the order not to meet any (case) witnesses?

Rafiq: No.

Syed Saddiq is charged as the then Armada chief – who was entrusted with control of the wing’s funds – with abetting Rafiq, 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.

The offence, under section 406 of the penal code, carries a jail term of up to 10 years with whipping, and is liable to a fine.

For the second charge, the accused is alleged to have misused 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 charged with committing the offence at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.

The charge, under section 403 of the penal code, carries a maximum five years’ jail with whipping and is punishable by a fine.

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

Syed Saddiq is charged with committing the offence at a bank on Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.

The charges were framed under section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum 15 years’ jail and a fine of not less than five times the amount or the proceeds of illegal activities.

The trial before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid continues tomorrow. – Bernama, July 5, 2022.