JOHOR BAHRU: Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to two counts of money laundering amounting to RM100,000, three years ago.

The 29-year-old former Youth and Sports Minister entered the plea before Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail.

According to the charges, Syed Saddiq was alleged to have been involved in money laundering by transferring RM50,000 each into his Maybank Islamic Berhad account and Amanah Saham Bumiputera account, which were proceeds from illegal activities.

The offences were allegedly committed at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling here on June 16 and June 19, 2018.

The charges framed under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 [Act 613], punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same act, provides for imprisonment not exceeding 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity, if convicted.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin proposed that the court apply the bail set by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on July 22.

Wan Shaharuddin also applied for the case to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in accordance with Section 123 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

"This application is made in the interests of justice. Although Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure Code states that the trial is to be held where the offence was committed, Section 123 allows any court to hear the case.

"The case involves the same witnesses, prosecutors and defence counsels and most of them live around the Klang Valley," he said.

Counsel Gobind Singh Deo representing Syed Saddiq did not object to the bail proposal and the application to transfer the case.

Ahmad Kamal Arifin allowed the bail set by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to be applied which was RM330,000 with one surety and the condition that the accused handed over his passport until the case is completed and to report to the nearest MACC office once a month.

The court also allowed the case to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court and fixed Sept 10 for re-mention.

Apart from Wan Shaharuddin, the prosecution was also represented by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutors Ahmad Akram Gharib and Mohd Afif Ali.

Earlier, Syed Saddiq who wore a black suit and white shirt, arrived at the court at about 9am accompanied by his father Syed Abdul Rahman and mother Sharifah Mahani Syed Abdul Aziz.

On July 22, Syed Saddiq was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with committing criminal breach of trust of funds belonging to a political party amounting to RM1 million and misusing RM120,000 in donations for the 14th general election (GE14) campaign.

-- BERNAMA