Prosecution files appeal against Syed Saddiq’s acquittal in RM1.2mil graft case

KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution has filed an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s acquittal of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in the RM1.2mil graft case involving Armada funds.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin confirmed to the press that the appeal has been filed on Monday (Sept 22).

In the petition of appeal, the prosecution cited 28 grounds of appeal which included that the appellate court judges had erred in law and facts when it allowed Syed Saddiq’s appeal.

“The judges of the Court of Appeal had erred when the panel made wild accusations that the prosecution and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) purportedly pressured the 13th prosecution witness (SP13) to give a testimony that was ‘tailored’ and made to ‘appease’ the MACC and the prosecution when where there was no testimonies that support the accusations,” it said in the court documents.

The prosecution also contented that the judges had erred when it failed to consider that Syed Saddiq’s defence was an afterthought and a bare denial.

On June 25, a three-judge panel chaired by Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim unanimously allowed Syed Saddiq’s appeal after finding that the trial judge had committed errors that warranted appellate intervention.

Other judges on the panel were Justices Azman Abdullah and Noorin Badaruddin.

On Nov 9, 2023, High Court judge Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid had found Syed Saddiq guilty of four charges, including abetting in criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds, and money laundering involving RM1.2mil.

He was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, a RM10mil fine, and two strokes of the cane for all charges.

Syed Saddiq was charged with abetting former Armada assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali, who was entrusted with RM1mil of Armada’s funds, to commit CBT by misappropriating the funds.

On the second charge, the former youth and sports minister was charged with misappropriating RM120,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s Maybank Islamic Bhd account by making Rafiq dispose of the money.

He was also charged with two counts of money laundering via transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.