MACC: Investigating officer did not look into Syed Saddiq’s source of income prior to being minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer told the High Court here today that he did not investigate Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s source of income before the Muar MP became a minister.

Asbi Munip, 32, said this was because the money laundering case investigation was focused on the transfer of RM100,000 from Syed Saddiq’s personal Maybank account to his Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) account.

“Based on my investigation, YB Syed Saddiq made two transactions of RM50,000 each on June 16 and 19, 2018 respectively into his ASB bank account,” he said when cross-examined by a lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo at the trial of Syed Saddiq, who faces four charges relating to criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.

Asked by Gobind if the witness knew Syed Saddiq’s source of income before becoming a minister, Asbi answered that he knew Syed Saddiq had been a part-time tutor at the International Islamic Universiti Malaysia (IIUM).

However, Asbi said he did not recall that Syed Saddiq had been an English debating coach and a columnist for several portals.

Gobind: Tuan Asbi did not ask YB Syed Saddiq. This is a basic question for the AMLA case (money laundering case).

Asbi: I only focused my investigation on the money transfers.

The 29th prosecution witness then agreed with the lawyer that he did not investigate Syed Saddiq’s source of income before he became a minister while investigating the money laundering case.

Asbi said he also did not investigate the amount of expenses spent by Syed Saddiq for the 14th general election (GE14) campaigns. Asked by Gobind, in Syed Saddiq’s defence, he stated that the RM120,000 was to replace the money he had advanced for the GE14 campaign, Asbi replied, “I am only investigating in relation to the RM100,000”.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Noor Syafina Mohd Radzuan asked the witness how he concluded that the RM100,000 from Syed Saddiq’s Maybank account was credited into his ASB account.

“There was a transaction of RM12,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise bank account through four transactions into YB Syed Saddiq’s Maybank account.

“I also confirmed with an ASB officer that there was money inflow amounting to RM100,000 to the YB Syed Saddiq’s account and the Maybank account belongs to YB Syed Saddiq,” said Asbi.

Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged with abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, Armada’s assistant treasurer at the time, with CBT of RM1 million in funds belonging to the Bersatu Youth wing at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.

For the second charge, the accused is charged with misusing the funds 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 at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya here, between April 8 and 21, 2018.

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 at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.

The trial before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid continues on Aug 22. — Bernama