Prosecution lines up 47 witnesses in Adam Radlan corruption trial

KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in Segambut Bersatu deputy division chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad’s corruption and money laundering case related to the Jana Wibawa project informed the Sessions Court of their plan to present 47 witnesses during the trial.

The trial is scheduled to commence on May 27 at the Sessions Court here and the witnesses will be testifying through witness statements.

“I have asked the defence whether the witness statements can be submitted 14 days before they are called to testify,” said deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh during case mention before Judge Suzana Hussin on Friday (Feb 16).

Adam Radlan’s lawyer, Alaistair Brandah Norman, responded that he would seek instructions from the lead lawyer of the case regarding the matter.

Earlier during proceedings, Farah Yasmin requested that the five corruption charges and seven money laundering charges faced by Adam Radlan be jointly tried because they involve the same transactions and since there was no objection from the defence.

The court allowed the application and fixed case mention on March 27 for the parties to update the status of documents and submission of witness statements.

The trial is scheduled for 15 days, maintaining the previously set dates from May 27 to 29; June 10 to 12; July 9 to 11; July 22 to 24; and Aug 5 to 7, 2024.

On Feb 21 last year, Adam Radlan was charged with one count of soliciting a cash bribe of between 3.5%-7% of an RM47.8mil road construction project from Mat Jusoh Mamat, the managing director of MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd.

He was also charged with another count of accepting a bribe of RM500,000 from the same individual as an inducement to help the company secure the same project, which spanned from Jalan Sungai Adam to Kampung Banat in Perlis, from the government through direct negotiations.

The offense was allegedly committed at a restaurant in Dutamas and CIMB Bank Bukit Tunku Branch, Taman Tunku on March 2021 and Nov 26, 2021.

On Feb 22, this year, Adam Radlan was once again charged with two counts of receiving RM4.1mil in bribes from Lian Tan Chuan and Mat Jusoh for helping Nepturis Sdn Bhd and MIE obtain two similar Jana Wibawa projects.

Then on Feb 28, he was charged with soliciting RM2mil from Lian as an inducement to help Nepturis secure a project related to Jana Wibawa.

All the charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Adam Radlan also faces seven money laundering charges amounting to more than RM3mil under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. – BK