KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — Former Lembaga Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was charged today with receiving gratification by using his position to influence a decision to invest RM190 million in a company in which he is accused of having an interest.
Azeez was alleged to have directed then TH chief executive officer Tan Sri Ismi Ismail to nominate him as a board member of Perdana Putra Berhad, a subsidiary, and using his position to influence TH’s board members to invest in the said company.
The alleged abuse of power, filed under Section 23-1 of the MACC Act, was said to have been committed on Aug 25, 2014, at Tabung Haji head office on Jalan Tun Abdul Razak here.
The section provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Azeez, seen clad in purple police lock up clothing and handcuffed, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, while asserting that the accusation “is absolutely untrue”.
The prosecution had argued that Azeez should not be allowed bail since he is being charged with a non-bailable offence, but noted that the Court still had the discretion to grant bail.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib, leading the prosecution, initially asked for bail to be set at RM1 million with additional terms.
But defence counsel Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad argued that his client’s cooperation with the authorities over the many years of investigations showed he posed no risk of fleeing, and that the bail set should not be punitive.
Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi granted Azeez bail of RM450,000 with the condition that he reports to MACC office once in three months.
Azeez is the latest person to be charged in relation to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji’s mismanagement released in July.
The report flagged 14 problematic investments, including in Putrajaya Perdana that resulted in a RM193.5 million loss.
