Syed Saddiq gets temporary release of passport to go to Switzerland, South Korea

Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid allowed the application after hearing the submissions by lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, representing Syed Saddiq, 30, and deputy public prosecutor Mohd 'Afif Ali.

In allowing the application, Azhar ordered Syed Saddiq to return the passport to the court on May 20.

Earlier, Lim told the court that the prosecution did not object to his client's application and this was confirmed by Mohd 'Afif.

Based on the affidavit, Syed Saddiq applied for the temporary release of his passport to go to Switzerland on May 1 to attend an international drug policy conference and return to Malaysia on May 6.

On May 15, he is to go to South Korea to speak at the 2023 Asian Leadership Conference organised by the Center for Asia Leadership. He is scheduled to return on May 19.

According to Syed Saddiq, he needed the passport early as he needs to apply for a visa to visit the two countries which will take time.

On Oct 28 last year, Syed Saddiq was ordered to enter his defence on four charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property and money laundering after the prosecution was able to prove a prima facie case against him at the end of the prosecution case.

The former youth and sports minister testified in his own defence for two days from Feb 22 this year and five other individuals also gave evidence as defence witnesses, including former Armada information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin, and Syed Saddiq's former special officer Mohamed Amshar Aziz and former private secretary Siti Nurul Hidayah.

Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid will deliver his judgment on a date yet to be fixed.

Syed Saddiq, 30, was charged as the then Armada chief with abetting Rafiq Hakim, who was entrusted with RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing, to commit criminal breach of trust by misappropriating the funds at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 here on March 6, 2020.

The Johor Bahru-born Syed Saddiq was also charged with misappropriating 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 faces 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 Bumiputera account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.