Banking Services Manager Low Mong Tuan, 44, who is employed at Public Bank Berhad on Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, confirmed the transaction of funds being deposited into a Public Bank account under the name Tagami Auto Enterprise Sdn Bhd. This transaction, a money transfer, occurred on August 12, 2022.
Low, previously stationed at the Public Bank Berhad branch in Sg Chua, noted that the account in question was opened on January 7, 2008. He explained that the account had two authorized signatories, Yet Kam Looi and Thin Poh Sin, but only required one signature for transactions. This information was revealed during the trial of former Bersatu Information Chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who faces 18 charges of money laundering and two charges of corruption related to the Jana Wibawa project. Wan Saiful, as Director of WA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, is accused of transferring RM78,800 from the company’s CIMB Bank Berhad account to the Public Bank account of Tagami Auto Enterprise Sdn Bhd as payment for a Ford Ranger vehicle.
When questioned by lawyer Chetan Jethwani, representing Wan Saiful, Low stated that he did not know whether the August 12, 2022 transaction was considered suspicious. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Rasyidah Murni Adzmi further inquired if Low was aware that the transaction had been reported as suspicious. Low replied that he only became aware of the suspicion after receiving an email from a higher office instructing him to provide transaction documents to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Earlier in the trial, the eighth prosecution witness, Mohamad Norazman Md Salleh, an assistant bank manager at Bank Rakyat’s Seberang Jaya branch, testified that RM36,550 was transferred from WSA Advisory Group to the account of Pertubuhan Penggerak Muafakat Bagan Seberang Perai Utara. This transfer occurred online on October 10, 2022. Norazman confirmed that the transaction was recorded in the Bank Rakyat account statement via a Duit Now transfer.
Wan Saiful faces additional charges of transferring RM36,550 from the CIMB Bank account of WSA Advisory Group to the Bank Rakyat account of the Bagan Seberang Perai Utara Consensus Movement Association. Lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad asked Norazman if the MACC investigating officer had inquired about suspicious transactions for the association’s account, to which Norazman replied that he was not asked. During a re-examination by DPP Rasyidah, Norazman clarified that at the time of the transaction, the assistant bank manager responsible for reporting suspicious transactions was another individual named Mr. Roslan. He could not confirm if this transaction had been reported as suspicious.
Wan Saiful, 47, is also accused of soliciting bribes from Lian Tan Chuan to assist Nepturis Sdn Bhd in obtaining a government project worth RM232 million. Additionally, he allegedly received RM6,962,694.54 through his company’s CIMB Bank Berhad account from Nepturis Sdn Bhd's Maybank Islamic Berhad account for facilitating the project's SST approval. These offenses reportedly occurred at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana, in April 2022 and at CIMB Bank Berhad Bukit Tunku Branch between July 8 and September 30, 2022.
Wan Saiful faces 18 money laundering charges involving RM5.59 million, used for various payments, including purchasing Ford Ranger vehicles and transfers to several company accounts, including Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd. These offenses were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank Berhad Bukit Tunku Branch between August 12 and November 13, 2022, in violation of Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The trial, presided over by Judge Rozina Ayob, will resume on July 10.
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