PUTRAJAYA: A three-year legal battle that threatened to derail Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s political career came to an end today after the Federal Court, in a split decision, upheld his acquittal on corruption and money laundering charges.
Dismissing the prosecution’s appeal, the majority judges ruled that the Court of Appeal had correctly overturned the Muar MP’s convictions and said there was no reason for further appellate intervention.
Justices Ruzima Ghazali and Collin Lawrence Sequerah were in the majority, while Justice Abu Bakar Jais dissented.
The three-member bench heard the appeal six months ago.
Syed Saddiq was charged with abetting then Bersatu Youth assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali, who was entrusted with RM1 million in Bersatu Youth’s funds, to commit criminal breach of trust by misappropriating the money.
He was also accused of misappropriating RM120,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s Maybank Islamic Bhd account by making Rafiq dispose of the money.
The 33‑year‑old was likewise charged with two counts of money laundering, involving RM50,000 each – believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities – transferred from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.
The High Court convicted Syed Saddiq of all four charges, but the Court of Appeal unanimously acquitted him.
MORE TO COME
