Ku Nan’s case to be tried in High Court

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KUALA LUMPUR: The case of former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who is facing two charges of receiving bribes totalling RM3 million, over the approval of an application by a company to raise the development related ratio in Jalan Semarak Kuala Lumpur, will be tried in the High Court.

Yesterday the prosecution informed the Sessions Court Judge, Azman Ahmad that the application of the defence team to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court under Section 417 of the Criminal Procedure Code had been allowed by the High Court on Dec 14 last year.

“The application of the lawyers was allowed by the High Court on Dec 14, 2018. Nevertheless, the defence had not yet received an order for the case to be tried at which High Court,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Aida Mastura Mohamed Aman at the mention of the case.

Lawyer Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, who represented Tengku Adnan ,68, confirmed the matter.

Tengku Adnan too had surrendered his passport back to the court. Prior to this, Sessions judge Azman had allowed a temporary release of the passport from Dec 12 and ordered the accused to return the passport to the court on Jan 7 (yesterday).

The court permitted an application by Tengku Adnan to temporarily get back his passport which had been surrendered to the court to enable him to get a health examination at a hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

According to the charge, Tengku Adnan, as a public servant, namely, Federal Territories Minister, had accepted for himself something valuable with no reciprocity, namely, RM2 million from Chai Kin Kong via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to syarikat Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd which had been deposited into the CIMB Bank account of Tadmansori Holding Sdn Bhd‬ in which he had an interest, when it was known that Syarikat Aset Kayamas had connections with his official duties.

Tengku Adnan was charged with perpetrating the action at the CIMB Bank Berhad, Pusat Bandar Damansara Branch, Level 1, Lot A4, Block A, Pusat Bandar Damansara, here on June 14, 2016, under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides jail up to two years or fine or both, if found guilty.

Tengku Adnan also pleaded not guilty to a charge of accepting a bribe and an alternative charge of accepting a bribe of RM1 million, over the approval of an application by a company to raise development related ratio in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

The Putrajaya Member of Parliament was charged with corruptly receiving for himself a bribe, namely, money amounting to RM1 million from Tan Eng Boon via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Syarikat Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd which had been deposited into a CIMB Bank account belonging to him.

The deed was made as a reward for himself because he had performed something real, namely, approving the application of Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) to raise the ration of plot related with the development of Lot 228, Jalan Semarak, here.

Tengku Adnan was charged with perpetrating the deed at the CIMB Bank Berhad, Putra World Trade Centre Branch, Level 2, Podium Block, Putra World Trade Centre, Jalan Tun Ismail, here on Dec 27, 2013 under paragraph 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (MACC)  which was punishable under sub-section 24(1) of the same act.

If found guilty, he could be jailed not more than 20 years and fined not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe which is the subject of the offence if the bribe could be valued or in monetary terms, or RM10,000 whichever is the higher.

Tengku Adnan was also charged with an alternative charge, namely, in the same place and date, as a Minister of the Federal Territories, had received for himself a valuable item without reciprocity, namely, RM1 million from Tan via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd which had been deposited into his CIMB account, when it was known that Tan, as a director in Syarikat Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd, (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) had connection with his official duties.

The charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code which provided a jail term of up to two years or with fine or both, if found guilty. — Bernama