SHAH ALAM (May 10): Former Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and Internet of Things Institute (MARii) chief executive officer Datuk Mohamad Madani Sahari claimed trial at the Sessions Court here on Wednesday (May 10) for money laundering amounting to RM4 million. 

Madani, 56, is alleged to have committed the offences between July 2021 and February 2022. 

Madani pleaded not guilty when the nine charges were read out to him before Sessions Court judge Rozilah Salleh. 

For the first three charges, Madani had allegedly used RM3.25 million from illegal proceeds to purchase Islamic Redeemable Preference Shares Class F and to pay legal fees to law firm Messrs Norizan and Associates, namely RM 3 million for the shares and RM250,000 for the legal fees. 

Madani is charged under Section 4(1)b of The Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla).

For the Amla charges, he faces a term of not more than 15 years jail time and a fine of up to five times the amount of the illegal proceeds or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

As for the remaining six charges, Madani had allegedly given instructions via letter of instruction to release to pay RM750,000 in different transactions to two individuals, a law firm and a company. 

He is charged under the aforementioned section for these offences. 

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Akhir requested that the court use the same RM300,000 bail which was paid when Madani was charged here previously as his bail condition. The court agreed to it. 

Ashraf also informed Rozilah that they intend to file an application to transfer the case to the Kuala Lumpur court so that this case can be heard simultaneously with other graft cases he is facing. 

Madani's lawyer Rahmat Hazlan did not object to both requests. 

Rozilah set June 9 for case mention. 

On Monday (May 8) Madani claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to soliciting a RM5 million bribe from an individual two years ago.

He is alleged to have solicited the bribe from one P Kuhan Arunasalam, in a bid to assist Kuhan to obtain training and placement of worker allocation amounting to RM24 million from MARii’s subsidiary company Syarikat A2Z Technology Sdn Bhd.

Prior to this, Madani was charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court last month with receiving a RM5 million bribe from one Kenny Khow Chuen Wah in exchange for helping Syarikat Aspire Knowledge Sdn Bhd to obtain the letter of award for a RM12 million project.

This brings Madani’s charges to a total of 11 so far.

Read also:
RM5m bribery: Former MARii CEO claims trial in KL Sessions Court
Former MARii CEO claims trial to receiving RM5 mil bribe