KUALA LUMPUR – Two bankers today testified in Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan’s money-laundering trial, telling the court of funds transferred from the opposition politician’s companies to a pair of other firms.
Low Mong Tuan, the bank service manager at Public Bank’s Jalan Sultan Sulaiman branch, said RM78,000 had been moved from Wan Saiful & Associates Sdn Bhd to Tagami Auto Enterprise Sdn Bhd on August 12, 2022.
Low, the prosecution’s witness, said she had no personal knowledge of the transaction, nor knowledge if the bank had been flagged because of it, or if it was reported to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
The 44-year-old said she only learnt that it was considered a suspicious transaction when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) requested for documents during its investigation.
BNM has a policy requiring financial institutions to report on deposits of RM25,000 and more to curb money laundering.
Wan Saiful, who faces 18 money laundering charges amounting to RM5.59 million, was accused of having used his position as WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd’s company director to pay various entities using funds allegedly obtained through illegal means.
These entities include Tagami Auto Enterprise Sdn Bhd, which Wan Saiful allegedly paid to purchase a Ford Ranger. Others that allegedly received funds include the National Sports Council and Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd.
In today’s hearing, the court also heard from Bank Rakyat’s Seberang Jaya branch manager Mohamad Norazaman Md Salleh that another of Wan Saiful’s firms, WSA Advisory Sdn Bhd deposited RM36,550 into the account of Pertubuhan Penggerak Muafakat’s Bagan chapter via direct transfer.
Norazaman said Pertubuhan Penggerak Muafakat had three signatories for its bank account, including Tasek Gelugor Bersatu chief Mohd Azmin Md Noor.
However, he told the court that the MACC had never asked him whether the transaction was suspicious.
Similar to Low, Norazman said he had no personal knowledge if the bank had flagged or reported the transaction to BNM, as it occurred in 2022 when he was not in charge of the branch.
He revealed this during cross examination by Wan Saiful’s lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad.
Apart from the 18 money laundering charges, Wan Saiful also faces two charges of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM6.9 million from an individual named Lian Tan Chuan, involving the Jana Wibawa project.
The sum was said to be an inducement for him to help a company named Nepturis Sdn Bhd secure the Central Spine Road: Sertik East Coast Motorway Interchange project from the government worth RM232 million.
Both sets of charges – the 18 for money laundering and the two related to the Jana Wibawa project – are being heard jointly. Trial before sessions court judge Rozina Ayob continues on July 10. – June 25, 2024