I was ordered to open Wan Saiful’s RM6.9mln corruption case on Jana Wibawa project, says witness

KUALA LUMPUR: An officer of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the Sessions Court here on Monday (March 25) that she was instructed to open a complaint against Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan regarding alleged bribery amounting to RM6.9mil from a company in relation to the Jana Wibawa project.

Khusyaini Adhillah Mat Aripin, 37, who previously served as MACC Superintendent of Investigation Branch B, MACC Investigation Division, said she wrote the complaint on Jan 27, 2023 after receiving further information from the previous complaint investigation.

“On Jan 27, 2023, I received information that a continuation of the previous complaint investigation found that in 2022, Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Bersatu’s Head of Information, had requested and received a bribe from Nepturis Sdn Bhd amounting to RM6.9mil in return for helping the company obtain Central Spine Road project: Certificate to East Coast Highway Interchange worth RM232mil.

“Based on the information, I opened the MACC complaint form on the same day (Jan 27) at 10.18am. I have discussed with the Head of Investigation Branch B, Investigation Division, MACC Headquarters, which is Assistant Commissioner Mazery Mod Zain to open a complaint,” he said.

The first prosecution witness said this when reading her witness statement on the first day of the corruption and money laundering case trial involving the former Bersatu Information chief.

According to Khusyaini Adhillah, after the complaint was made, she filed a copy of the complaint with the Public Sector Records Unit to be recorded and action taken so that an investigation under the MACC Act 2009 could be carried out.

To a question from lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad representing Wan Saiful, the witness who is currently working at the Agency’s Integrity Management Division, said she did not know who gave the instructions to make the complaint or the information about the complaint.

Amer Hamzah: You don’t know who gave the instructions, and you don’t know all the information, so I suggest that the complaint is false and made with malicious intent.

Khusyaini Adhillah: Disagree.

She also disagreed with the lawyer that the sentences in the complaint were drafted by her because it was a discussion with Mazery.

During re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Nor Diana Nor Azwa, the witness said she did not agree that the complaint was false and malicious because any MACC officer who suspected there was information about an offence under the MACC act, it could be registered in the complaint form.

Meanwhile, MACC assistant investigation officer Muhamad Syakir Zakaria, 35, said he had received instructions from Mazery to arrest Wan Saiful at 8pm, Feb 20, 2023 at MACC Headquarters, Putrajaya to conduct an investigation into offences under Section 16 (a) (A) MACC Act 2009.

The second prosecution witness said that after explaining to Wan Saiful the reasons for his arrest, the Tasek Gelugor Member of Parliament clearly understood and signed the notice of Section 53 (3) of the MACC Act.

Proceedings before Judge Rozina Ayob continue on Tuesday (March 26).

Wan Saiful, 47, is alleged to have solicited bribes from Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement for him to help Nepturis Sdn Bhd get the “Central Spine Road: Certify to East Coast Highway Interchange” project from the Malaysian government in pre-qualification, which was worth RM232mil.

He is also accused of accepting for himself cash amounting to RM6,962,694.54 through a CIMB Bank Berhad account belonging to his company WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, from the Maybank Islamic Berhad account belonging to Nepturis Sdn Bhd Company as a reward for helping Nepturis obtain a Letter of Acceptance for the project.

The two acts were allegedly committed at Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana here, in April 2022 and at CIMB Bank Berhad Bukit Tunku Branch, Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku here between July 8, 2022 to Sept 30, 2022.

Wan Saiful was also charged with 18 charges of money laundering involving RM5.59mil by transferring and using money from illegal activities to pay for the purchase of a Ford Ranger, payments to the Malaysian National Sports Council as well as transferring the money to several company accounts, including to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd.

All the offences were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank Berhad Bukit Tunku Branch here between August 12 and November 13 2022, in accordance with Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. – BK