KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) supreme council member Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan claimed trial to 18 charges of money laundering amounting to RM5.59 million at the Sessions Court here today.
The Tasek Gelugor member of Parliament pleaded not guilty after all charges were read to him in front of Judge Suzana Hussin.
Wan Saiful was charged under Section 4(1)(b) Anti-Money Laundering Act, which was read together with Section 87(1)(a) under the same Act.
According to the charges, Wan Saiful, as the director of the WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, was charged with transferring funds worth a total of RM1.66 million believed from illegal proceeds to several companies and individuals, including to a car dealership to buy Ford Ranger worth RM78,800, as well as RM180,000 to the National Sports Council (NSC), RM38, 160 to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd and several others, between Aug 12 and Nov 13, last year.
The 48-year old politician was believed to have utilised money worth RM3.93 million, allegedly obtained through illicit activities which he had transferred from the consultancy firm's account to his own CIMB and Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) accounts.
Suzana granted RM400,000 bail and ordered him to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters twice a month.
The case is scheduled for mention on Dec 1.
Wan Saiful was represented by lawyers Amer Hamzah and K Kumaraendran, with deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan prosecuted.
Prior to his plea, there was a technical problem which caused the prosecution to re-file the charges as there was only one charge in the system.
Wan Saiful was called to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya yesterday for questioning.
Earlier this year, Wan Saiful pleaded not guilty to two charges, including receiving a bribe of RM6.9 million in connection with the Jana Wibawa project.
Based on the charges, Wan Saiful was accused of soliciting money from Lian Tan Chuan as an incentive to assist Nepturis Sdn Bhd in obtaining the Central Spine Road: East Coast Expressway Intersection Qualification Project worth RM232 million from the government, in April last year, at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana.
He was also accused of receiving a bribe of RM6.9 million through his company's CIMB Bank Berhad account, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, from the Maybank Islamic Berhad account of Nepturis Sdn Bhd.
This was in return for assisting the relevant company in obtaining the approval letter for the same project at the CIMB Bank Berhad branch in Bukit Tunku, between July 8 and Sept 30, 2022.
