Azeez’s corruption trial to begin on Sept 25

KUALA LUMPUR: The corruption trial against former Tabung Haji chairperson Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim involving RM144.6 million will begin on Sept 25, decided Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.
She also heard from DPP Azlinda Ahad that the prosecution would be filing an application to transfer the case against Azeez and his elder brother Abdul Latif, who was charged with abetting, to the High Court.
Following this, the judge then ordered for trial commencement date to be set pending result of the transfer application.
She then told counsels from both the prosecution and defence to inform the court the status of the application when there is an update.
Azura also set Oct 11 as the second day of the trial.
Azeez, who is Baling MP, was first chargedat the Sessions Court in Jan with 12 counts of gratification and money laundering amounting to RM144.6 million.
The 12 counts are made up of three counts of gratification under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, and nine counts of money laundering under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla).
With regard to the gratification charges, Azeez is accused of receiving RM5.2 million from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah, a director of Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd.
The amount was allegedly given as a reward for assisting the company in securing projects for highway construction and road upgrades in Perak and Kedah.
The projects are valued between RM197.8 million and RM664.48 million and the transactions were said to have taken place between December 2010 and April 2018.
With regard to the money laundering charges, Azeez is accused of receiving illegal funds amounting to RM139.41 million from four companies: Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd, Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd, Pintas Utama Sdn Bhd, and AVP Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd.
The transactions were said to have taken place in Klang Valley between March 10, 2010, and Aug 30, 2018.