KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer denied that the complaint of suspected corruption against Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan was made with malice, the Sessions Court heard today.
MACC enforcement officer Khusyaini Adhillab Mat Aripin, 37, said she was instructed by her superior to lodge a complaint against the Tasek Gelugor assemblyman over the Jana Wibawa financial scandal.
"On Jan 27, 2023, I received information from the previous investigation in 2022, that Wan Saiful as Bersatu Information chief had solicited and received bribes amounting to RM6.9 million from Nepturis Sdn Bhd in exchange for assisting the company in obtaining the Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Highway Interchange project worth RM232 million.
"Based on that information, I opened an MACC complaint form on the same day at around 10.18am.
"I discussed with the Chief of Investigation Branch B, Investigation Division, MACC Headquarters, Assistant Commissioner Mazery Mod Zain, to initiate the complaint," she said.
She said this in her witness statement on the first day of the trial for corruption and money laundering involving Wan Saiful.
The witness said after the complaint was made, she handed over a copy of the complaint to the Public Sector Records Unit to be recorded and action taken so that an investigation under the MACC Act 2009 could be conducted.
Meanwhile, another witness, MACC assistant investigating officer Muhamad Syakir Zakaria, 35, said he was instructed to arrest Wan Saiful on Feb 20, 2023.
"He was arrested at the MACC headquarters under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009," he said.
The trial before judge Rozina Ayob continues.
Wan Saiful, 47, is charged with soliciting a bribe from one Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement for him to help a company, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, secure the RM232 million-worth "Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Expressway Interchange" project from the federal government.
Wan Saiful is charged with receiving RM6,962,694.54, which was transferred from a Maybank Islamic Bhd account owned by Nepturis Sdn Bhd into a CIMB Bank Bhd account held by his company, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, as a reward for helping the company obtain a letter of acceptance for the project.
He is alleged to have committed both offences at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana here, in April last year and at CIMB Bank Bhd Bukit Tunku branch, Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku here, between July 8 and Sept 30 last year.
