By V. Anbalagan | Free Malaysia Today
An investigation into former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan that led to the Tasek Gelugor MP being charged in court began after a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officer lodged a complaint, the Sessions Court heard today.
Khusyaini Adhillah Mat Aripin said MACC had conducted a principal investigation into the Jana Wibawa programme in late 2022 based on information received from a source. Further information was received in January last year, she said.
Khusyaini said she filed the complaint as the anti-graft agency did not wish to reveal the identity of the source.
The first witness to take the stand in Wan Saiful’s corruption and money laundering trial said the accused had accepted bribes to assist a company to secure a highway construction project.
“Based on the information, I filed a complaint in the prescribed MACC form on Jan 27 last year after a discussion with my superior, Mazery Zaini,” she said in her witness statement.
Cross-examined by lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad, Khusyaini said she was not privy to the principal investigation.
Amer: Did the principal investigation mention the accused?
Khusyaini: I do not know.
Amer: If you do not know, why did you file a complaint?
Khusyaini: I was directed to make the complaint.
Questioned further by Amer, she said she did not know what was meant by the accused “assisting the company in securing the project”.
Amer: So, whose statement (complaint) is this?
Khusyaini: I do not know.
Amer: Did the revelation come from the sky?
Khusyairi also denied that she had made a false complaint.
Re-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Diana Azwa, Khusyaini said she made the written complaint following a discussion with Mazery.
She also insisted it was not a fictitious complaint.
The prosecution’s second witness, Syakir Zakaria, told the court he was ordered by Mazery to arrest Wan Saiful at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
“I served a notice on him at about 8.30pm on Feb 20 last year. The accused signed (the notice) after I explained it to him,” he said.
Cross-examined by Amer, Syakir said he did not know if Wan Saiful was arrested in his capacity as a suspect or a witness.
Wan Saiful is accused of soliciting bribes from Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement to help Nepturis Sdn Bhd secure the RM232 million Central Spine Road-Sertik to East Coast Highway Interchange project from the former Perikatan Nasional-led government at the pre-qualification stage.
He is also accused of accepting RM6.96 million in cash through his company, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd’s CIMB bank account from a Maybank Islamic account belonging to Nepturis as a reward for helping the company obtain a letter of acceptance for the project.
Both offences are alleged to have been committed in Kuala Lumpur – at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana in April 2022, and at CIMB’s Bukit Tunku branch in Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku between July 8 and Sept 30, 2022.
Wan Saiful is also charged with 18 counts of laundering RM5.59 million by transferring and using the illegal proceeds to pay for the purchase of a vehicle, making payments to the National Sports Council, as well as transferring money to several company accounts, including one belonging to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd.
The hearing before trial judge Rozina Ayob continues.
