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KUALA LUMPUR - The former chief operating officer (COO) of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), who has been charged with accepting payment for house renovation costs, was again brought before the Sessions Court here today on a similar charge involving renovation costs of RM8,882.77 for a house nine years ago.
Datuk Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani, 56, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.
Adi Azuan, who was then a public servant as TH COO, was charged with accepting for himself something of value, namely renovation costs amounting to RM8,882.77 for a house in Jalan Tanjung SD 13/4, Bandar Sri Damansara, from AG Reka Sdn Bhd director Thamsulazri Ismail, whom the accused knew to have dealings with matters conducted by him.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at the residence on March 7, 2017, under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum two-year jail term or a fine or both upon conviction.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Public Prosecutor Irna Julieza Maaras informed the court that the accused had been charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court yesterday under a similar section, and the prosecution requested that the RM50,000 bail and bail conditions imposed by that court be applied to this case.
"Yesterday, the court set bail at RM50,000 with additional conditions that the accused report to the MACC Putrajaya office, not interfere with prosecution witnesses, and surrender his passport to the court until the case is concluded. The Shah Alam Sessions Court also set Nov 25 for mention of the case.
"Therefore, the prosecution is applying for this case to be transferred to the Shah Alam Sessions Court to be heard together as it involves the same witnesses and investigation papers,” she said.
Lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin, representing Adi Azuan, said the defence did not object to the prosecution’s application for the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam Sessions Court to be heard together.
"I confirm that the accused was previously charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court with three charges. Therefore, we ask the court to apply the bail and bail conditions imposed by that court to this case,” he said.
Judge Suzana allowed the prosecution’s application for the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam Sessions Court to be heard together, and for the bail amount and conditions previously imposed to be applied to this case.
Yesterday, Adi Azuan pleaded not guilty at the Shah Alam Sessions Court to three charges of accepting something of value, namely renovation costs for three houses amounting to RM302,499.27.
Following the public disclosure of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the management and operations of TH, seven individuals have been charged in court as of today.
They include former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom; former TH chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim; former THP Bina Sdn Bhd Security and Health manager Nasahruddin Ahmad; and Alam Maritim Resources Bhd group managing director and group chief executive officer Datuk Azmi Ahmad.
The TH RCI report was made public on July 29, documenting various weaknesses in TH's management and operations between 2014 and 2020, as well as listing troubled investments that require forensic audits.
The report also stated that there were suspicious transactions and concealment of information. - BERNAMA
