Peter Anthony claims trial to RM8.75 million money laundering charges

Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony pleaded not guilty at a special corruption court here today to five counts of money laundering involving RM8.75 million.

He made the plea after the charges were read out to him before Judge Abu Bakar Manat.

Two of the five charges were framed under Section 4(1) (a), while the other three under Section 4 (1) (b), of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

On the first two counts, Peter was charged with being directly engaged in the transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activity by instructing a certain individual to transfer RM3.75 million from the bank account belonging to Budiman Juta Sdn Bhd to the bank account of Wondrous Enterprise Sdn Bhd.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at the Malayan Banking Berhad, Lot 6 7, Jalan Perpaduan, Kampung Air, near here, between July 25 and Aug 4, 2014.

The charge carries a fine not exceeding RM5 million, or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both, upon conviction.

For the other three charges, Peter was accused of receiving a total of RM5 million proceeds of unlawful activity from Budiman Juta Sdn Bhd which were transferred into the account of Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd, a company which he owned.

The offence was allegedly committed at Malayan Banking Berhad, Lot 6 7, Jalan Perpaduan, Kampung Air, near here, between Sept 5, 2014, and Jan 18, 2016.

If convicted, he is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 years and fine of RM5 million or not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of the unlawful activity or instrumentalities of the offence at the time the offence was committed, whichever is higher.

The court allowed Peter bail of RM500,000 with two local sureties and ordered his passport to be surrendered to the court, and for him to report to the Sabah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office once in every two months.

Deputy public prosecutors from the MACC, Ahmad Akram Gharib and Nartiah M. Sambatan, appeared for the prosecution, while Peter was represented by four lawyers - Cedric Choo, Datuk Douglas Lind, Martin Tommy and Luke Ressa Balang.

Aug 4 was sent for remention.

-- BERNAMA