Prosecution in Syed Saddiq's trial ordered to give a copy of recorded statement by witness to court

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today ordered the prosecution in the trial of former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is facing charges for criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering, to give a copy of the statement of a key witness recorded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2020 to the court.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid made the order after agreeing with the defence that there were contradictions in the statement by former Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda (Armada) assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali , who is the 13th prosecution witness, to MACC and in his oral testimony.

He said the difference in the two testimonies was also acknowledged by the prosecution.

"I instructed the prosecution to submit a copy of the recording of the witness Rafiq Hakim's conversation for scrutiny and consideration before the next course of action (to challenge the credibility of the witness) is determined," said the judge.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shahruddin Wan Ladin then asked whether the copy of the statement should be handed over to judge only or to be given to other parties as well.

Azhar said a copy of the statement should be submitted to the court first for scrutiny to confirm the differences found in the oral testimony and the recording of the conversation before the application to challenge the credibility of the witness could be determined.

Last Friday (July 22), Syed Saddiq once again applied to challenge the credibility of Rafiq Hakim following several discrepancies in the testimony recorded by the MACC and his oral testimony in court over the withdrawal of RM1 million from Armada's bank account.

According to Syed Saddiq's lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo, the discrepancy was over the time and place where Syed Saddiq was alleged to have instructed Rafiq Hakim and Armada assistant secretary Ahmad Redzuan Mohamed Shafi to withdraw the RM1 million and the purpose of a fundraising event in Muar.

Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged as the then Bersatu youth wing or Armada chief, who was entrusted with control of its funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim with CBT of RM1mil in funds belonging to the wing at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.

For the second charge, Syed Saddiq 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 Hakim 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 faced two counts of engaging in money-laundering activities, namely two transactions of RM50,000 each believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputra account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.

The hearing before Azhar continues

-- BERNAMA