IPOH: The former chief executive officer (CEO) of Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), Datuk Zahrah Abd. Wahab Fenner and her son pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today on two charges of abetting and abuse of power amounting to RM250,000 last year.
Zahra, 60, and her son, Abdulazeez Wan Ruslan, 30, a businessman pleaded not guilty plea after their charges were read before Judge S. Indra Nehru.
Based on the first charge, Zahra was accused of abetting with Abdulazeez’s offence of receiving bribe from Samhan Adnan, a company director amounting to RM200,000 which was credited into his Maybank account in Menglembu on May 18 2018.
The money was as gratification to Abdulazzez to ensure Zahra as SSM CEO and a member of SSM investment committee approves the Internal Memo of the Finance and Accounts Division, Investment and Financial Management Section titled ‘Preference Shareholder’ Preferred Shares to Ace Holdings Berhad Company dated April 19, 2018.
The offence was charged under Subsection 28(1) (c ) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 read together with Subsection 16 (a) (A) and Subsection 24(1) of the same act which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and fine not less than five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher, upon conviction.
For the second charge, Zahra was accused of abetting with Abdulazeez who received a RM50,000 bribe from Samhan which was credited into his Maybank account on May 25 2018 at the Menglembu branch.
The money was as payment to Abdulazeez to ensure her mother approved the Internal Memo of the Finance and Accounts Division, Investment and Financial Management Section titled ‘Preference Shareholder’ Preferred Shares to Ace Holdings Berhad Company dated April 19, 2018.
The act was charged under Subsection 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act 2009 read together with Subsection 16 (a)(A) and Subsection 24(1) of the same act, which provides for the same punishment.
Meanwhile, based on the first charge, Abdulazeez was accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM200,000 from Samhan via cash deposit into his Maybank account at the Menglembu branch on May 18 2018 to ensure Zahra approved the Internal Memo of the Finance and Accounts Division, Investment and Financial Management Section titled ‘Preference Shareholder’ Preferred Shares to Ace Holdings Berhad Company dated April 19, 2018.
The offence was charged under Subsection 16(a) (A) of the MACC Act 2009 which could be punished under Subsection 24(1) of the same act which provides the same punishment.
According to the second charge, Abdulazeez was accused of receiving a RM50,000 bribe from Samhan to ensure Zahra approved the Internal Memo of the Finance and Accounts Division, Investment and Financial Management Section titled ‘Preference Shareholder’ Preferred Shares to Ace Holdings Berhad Company dated April 19, 2018.
The money was deposited in cash into a Maybank account belonging to Abdulazeez at the Menglembu branch on May 25 2018 and the offence was charged under Subsection 16 (a) (A) of the MACC Act 2009 which is punishable under Subsection 24(1) of the same act which provides the same punishment.
Prosecution was conducted by MACC deputy public prosecutor, Nurul Wahida Jalaluddin while both accused were represented by Shahir Abdul Razak, Syaiful Nazrin Mohd Rahim, Mohd Faizal Mohd Aris and Dorina Abdullah.
The judge also allowed the application of Nurul Wahida to transfer the case to the Sessions Court in Jalan Duta so that they could be heard together with 37 other charges for receiving bribes, abuse of power and abetting involving Zahra and Abdulazeez.
Following the transfer of the case, bail was not imposed by the court.
— BERNAMA
