Tycoon Abu Sahid and ex-director claim trial to RM754.6 million charges

SHAH ALAM: Business tycoon Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed and a former construction company director have pleaded not guilty to a total of 19 charges involving RM754.6 million.

The charges include criminal breach of trust, false claims, and money laundering allegedly connected to the proposed MEX II highway construction project.

Both men entered their pleas before Sessions Court Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin after the charges were read separately.

Abu Sahid, the 74-year-old director of Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, faces a single charge of criminal breach of trust for allegedly misappropriating RM145.5 million.

The funds were reportedly transferred to a construction company between January 12 and June 13, 2018, while he was acting in his capacity as company director.

This charge under Section 409 of the Penal Code carries a maximum jail term of 20 years plus whipping and a fine upon conviction.

Meanwhile, former director Datuk Yap Wee Leong, 68, claimed trial to 18 separate charges comprising nine counts of false claims and nine counts of money laundering.

For the false claims, Yap is accused of submitting nine fraudulent progress claims amounting to RM220.7 million at a Petaling bank branch between November 2017 and June 2018.

These claims, valued between RM16 million and RM28 million each, allegedly involved pre-construction works that were never actually carried out.

The false claims charges were brought under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

Conviction under this section carries up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the claim value or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Yap also faces nine money laundering charges involving RM388.3 million across multiple transactions.

The alleged money laundering involved transferring sums ranging from RM18 million to RM75 million using both company and personal bank accounts.

These transactions reportedly occurred between June 2017 and August 2018 at a bank branch in Country Heights, Kajang.

The money laundering charges fall under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

This section carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence and fines of not less than five times the amount laundered or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

Deputy public prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib, requested the current charges be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

The prosecution also sought a joint trial with a related case scheduled for mention on November 3.

They further pressed for bail to be maintained as per the Kuala Lumpur court’s earlier decision of RM1.5 million for Abu Sahid and RM1 million for Yap.

The prosecution also requested both defendants surrender their passports to the court.

Defence counsels Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik for Abu Sahid and Abdul Hakeem Aiman for Yap did not object to these requests.

Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin approved all of the prosecution’s applications for the case transfer, joint trial, and bail conditions.

Media previously reported on September 8 that Abu Sahid had claimed trial in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to four criminal breach of trust charges involving over RM300 million.

He also faced 13 money laundering charges involving more than RM100 million in the earlier proceeding.

Yap had previously pleaded not guilty to 17 charges involving false documents worth RM314.4 million. – Bernama