KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 25): Former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia information chief Wan Saifuldin Wan Jan (better known as Wan Saiful) on Wednesday claimed trial to 18 counts of money laundering amounting to RM5.594 million.
Wan Saiful, who is also Tasek Gelugor Member of Parliament, was charged before Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin.
Last February, he was charged at another Sessions Court for graft in allegedly receiving RM6.96 million into WSA Advisory Sdn Bhd's account, where he is director, and soliciting RM232 million over the Central Spine road project from the Federal Government.
The charges of money-laundering on Wednesday are in relation to graft allegedly received, where he is said to have committed money laundering between Aug 12, to Nov 7, 2022 by using the funds from WSA Advisory Sdn Bhd.
Among recipients of the alleged illegal money include Wan Saiful himself, Tagami Auto Enterprise Sdn Bhd (for the purchase of a Ford Ranger), Sykt Jendela Timur Consultant, Duckling Management and Services, Fendi Dilif Resources, and NGO Pertubuhan Penggerak Muafakat Bagan, Seberang Perai Utara.
Others included PYI Global Trading, Jejak Global Enterprise, Fokus Malaysia Studios, National Sports Council and Chin Kang Hardware in Jitra, to a person by the name of Syed Jaafar Syed Abdul Aziz, as well as to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd, Akademi Gagasan Minda Merdeka, and Good Square Sdn Bhd.
The sum was paid via cheque from WSA Advisory to these entities. If found guilty, Wan Saiful stands to face a maximum 15 years in prison, or a fine of up to five times the money laundered or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
Wan Saiful claimed trial to all charges and was represented by Datuk K Kumaraendran, Amer Hamzah Arshad, and Chethan Jethwani, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan led the prosecution.
Farah Ezlin informed Suzana that the prosecution intends to transfer Wan Saiful’s money laundering case to Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob’s jurisdiction, where the predicate graft charges are being heard.
The prosecution informed Suzana that they are applying the same bail conditions given by Rozina to the money laundering charges.
Following this, Suzana allowed the transfer of the case to Rozina’s court and fixed Dec 1 for mention.
It was earlier reported that Rozina had in July dismissed Wan Saiful’s application to strike out the graft charges and hence fixed March 25 and 27, April 29 and 30, and May 20 to 22, 2024, as hearing dates.
Adam Radlan charged with money laundering
Meanwhile, at Rozina’s court on Wednesday, businessman Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad was charged with one count of money laundering, of using RM500,000 from his CIMB account between Dec 2, 2021 and Feb 22, 2022.
Prior to this, Adam Radlan, who was represented by Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam and Muhammad Farhan Shafee, was charged last February with two counts of graft in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme.
He is charged to have solicited a bribe amount of 3.5% to 7% of the total amount of a roadwork project worth RM47.8 million from Mat Jusoh Mamat, who is the managing director of MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd.
In the second charge, he allegedly received RM500,000 in his CIMB Bank account from Jusoh Mamat as an inducement for helping MIE secure the roadwork project from Jalan Sg Adam to Kg Banat, Perlis.
In Adam Radlan’s case on Wednesday, Farah Ezlin applied to Rozina to transfer the money laundering case to Suzana’s court where he was charged with graft, and for bail conditions applied in his graft case to be applied to this case.
As there were no objections from Rajan and Farhan, Rozina agreed to transfer the money laundering case to Suzana’s court and fixed Oct 31 for mention.