KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): The money laundering case involving the wife of the Maju Expressway (MEX) owner Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed will be tried together with the criminal breach of trust and money laundering case faced by Abu Sahid at the Sessions Court here.
Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin made the decision after allowing deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib’s application for Puan Sri Noor Azrina Mohd Azmi’s case to be tried jointly with Abu Sahid’s case.
“I allow this case (Noor Azrina) to be tried together with Abu Sahid’s case, and set case mention on April 6 for document submission,” said Suzana.
Earlier, Ahmad Akram said that Sessions Court 8 judge Rosli Ahmad had allowed the prosecution’s application to transfer Noor Azrina’s case to this Suzana’s court.
“Accordingly, we apply for the case involving Noor Azrina to be tried together with Abu Sahid’s case as it involves the same transactions and I believe this is not objected to by the defence,” the DPP said, which was confirmed by lawyer Datuk Jasbeer Singh, representing Abu Sahid.
Noor Azrina, 49, is charged with receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM67.14 million into her bank account from Abu Sahid’s bank account.
The offence was allegedly committed at a bank in Bukit Tunku, here, between Mar 6, 2017 and Nov 27, 2017, under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA), which is punishable under Section 4(1) of the same Act.
The section provides for imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or proceeds of the unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if convicted.
Abu Sahid, 75, as the director of Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, is charged with five counts of misappropriating more than RM458.5 million of company funds entrusted to him in bank accounts in Taman Tunku and Taman Serdang Perdana, here, between May 3, 2016, and Oct 21, 2019.
The charges are brought under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, whipping and a fine if convicted.
He also faces 10 charges of transferring proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM116,449,536.12 from his account to five individuals and four construction companies.
For three additional money laundering charges, Abu Sahid is accused of disposing of proceeds from unlawful activities totalling RM22,802,612.86 by making cash withdrawals through 15 cheques from his account at the same bank between May 4, 2016, and Sept 19, 2018, under Section 4(1)(b) of the same Act and subject to the same punishment.