The social media influencer couple accused of misappropriating donations remains in custody after the High Court rejected their attempt to overturn the remand order issued by the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court.
Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin dismissed the review application filed by Mohd Hazalif Mohd Hazani, also known as Alif Teega, and his wife Aisyah Hijanah Azhari. He ruled that the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court had adhered to Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code in granting the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) request for the couple's remand.
"The claim that there is no connection between the applicants and the alleged offence is without merit," said the judge. "Any potential offences by the applicants can only be determined after the investigation is complete. The MACC must be allowed to finish their investigation, and the magistrate's remand order is valid. Therefore, the review application is dismissed."
The couple’s lawyer, Abd Rahim Ali, argued that his clients were not associated with any public body as defined under Section 3 of the MACC Act, which allows investigations under Section 23 of the Act.
"The shareholders of Hijanah Haul Holdings Sdn Bhd are solely Mohd Hazalif and Aisyah Hijanah. The company's members are not public officials, and we contend that there is no connection between the suspects and the alleged offence," he stated.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib countered that Section 23 is merely the foundation for the investigation and does not imply that the suspects will be charged under that section. "This review application is premature as the investigation is still ongoing," he said.
Meanwhile, DPP Law Chin How stressed that the MACC sought the remand due to allegations that the JomDonate platform, used by both influencers to collect public donations, was involved in the misappropriation of funds. "The involvement of public funds necessitates a thorough investigation," he added.
Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin had granted the MACC’s application to remand Mohd Hazalif and Aisyah Hijanah for four days until July 14 to facilitate investigations under Section 23 of the MACC Act, concerning the misappropriation of funds collected via the JomDonate platform.
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