Non-profit NGO caught in multi-million graft trial
SHAH ALAM: Aman Palestin Berhad (Aman Palestin) was established in 2004 to render aid to the long-suffering Palestinians by way of funds contributed by concerned Malaysians.
It was registered in 2006 as a non-profit organisation.
According to its website, Aman Palestine had not only sent aid to war-torn Palestine but also to Lebanon and Syria.
Its executive chairman, Terengganu-born Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman, has long been a controversial figure, having been the president of Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma). He has been a strident voice for the rights of Malays, and has even been labelled as an extremist.
However, his charging in the Sessions Court yesterday, along with Aman Palestin chief executive officer Awang Suffian Awang Piut, 52, came as a surprise for many.
The two were slapped with 161 charges between them for misusing funds collected to help the suffering Palestinians.
They allegedly committed the offences in their capacity as directors of investment company Syarikat Samudra Champa Sdn Bhd. Another director of the company, Khairudin Mohd Ali, was also slapped with three charges of money laundering.
According to the charge sheet on Section 409 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust, Abdullah Zaik and Awang Suffian were accused of misappropriating cash amounting to RM20,946,498.80 through various bank transactions between March 2018 and November 2023.
For the charge under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, they were accused of hoodwinking Aman Palestin’s board of trustees on 19 occasions to receive RM39,150,000 into their company Syarikat Samudra Champa Sdn Bhd to buy 131kg of gold bullion. The actual price for the gold was RM33,399,970 and hence they are accused of deceiving the board of trustees to part with an additional RM5,750,030.
They had allegedly committed the offence between Sept 24, 2021 and July 14, 2023.
Abdullah Zaik and Awang Suffian were also accused of using RM12,833,772.16 of Aman Palestin funds to buy houses, shoplots and land in their company’s name.
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