KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman claims his prosecution was politically motivated and his friends were intimidated and forced to give their testimony according to what the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) wanted.

The Muar MP said he had written to former MACC chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim who was the National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) director-general at the time but till today nothing has come of it.

Syed Saddiq, who took the stand today in day one of his criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds trial, said he also spoke to an MACC officer identified as Ihsan who admitted the agency was being used as a tool by the ruling government to prosecute their opponents.

"I confirm that on June 5, 2020 I wrote to Tan Sri Abu Kassim. The heavy handed, forceful ways and threats that MACC made towards my friends were highlighted to him. I also made a personal police report about this. I was told the authorities would investigate the matter but till today there have been no updates on this,” he said on the stand today.

"My friends were investigated by MACC and threatened by the officers to give their statement according to what the MACC wanted. They stopped once Siti Nurul Hidayah (honorary secretary of the Youth Power Club) called for a press conference and exposed them,” he added.

Siti alleged that MACC officers, during a session to record her statement on June 4, 2020, used intimidation tactics. She claimed that she was threatened, verbally abused, had her handphone taken from her and had the device thrown at her.

She further claimed officers kicked the chair which she sat on, switched off the lights during the interview and threatened to slap her.

"In addition, throughout the investigation by MACC I was often interviewed by an officer called Ihsan. He admitted that the agency was used as a tool for the ruling government to prosecute their opponents and in the audio recording you will hear him say that,” Syed Saddiq said referring to a recorded conversation between him and Ihsan at his home whereby the officer can be heard uttering those words.

"Transcripts will show Ihsan saying my prosecution was politically motivated and some of the testimony was hidden by the public prosecutors as you can tell from listening to the audio of the conversation.

"As such I declare that I am innocent of all these charges,” he added.

In this trial Syed Saddiq has two charges pinned against him, charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of assets and money laundering.

According to the first charge, Syed Saddiq, 30, is charged as the then Bersatu Youth wing or Armada chief - who was entrusted with control of Armada funds - of abetting Rafiq, Armada’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 Berhad, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here 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 Berhad 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 Berhad, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya here, between April 8 and 21, 2018, and charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a minimum jail term of six months and a maximum of five years with whipping, and is punishable by 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 of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Berhad 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 Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.