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KUALA LUMPUR: Former Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has been found guilty of accepting RM2 million from businessman Chai Kin Kong four years ago.
In his 20-minute verdict, Superior Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said the defense had not created a doubt in the prosecution’s case.
The judge will now proceed to impose the sentence after submissions on mitigating and aggravating factors by Tengku Adnan’s attorney, Tan Hock Chuan, and Deputy Prosecutor Julia Ibrahim.
The court has been interrupted for a brief recess.
Tengku Adnan, better known as Ku Nan, received the money from Chai, who was the director of Aset Kayamas, despite knowing that the businessman’s companies had dealings with the Ministry of Federal Territories, which at that time depended on the MP of Putrajaya.
The crime, under article 165 of the Penal Code, carries up to two years in prison, or a fine, or both, if convicted.
The judge said that after maximum evaluation of the prosecution’s evidence against the defense, the defendant was not tasked with raising funds for two by-elections, in Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar, in 2016.
“Anyway, he was not Umno’s treasurer,” he said.
Additionally, Zaini said that two witnesses fabricated their evidence to muffle the defendant’s defense.
He said that the RM2 million remained in the account of Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd, in which Tengku Adnan had an interest and that he did not withdraw the money to pay for the by-elections.
“He used Tadmansori to enjoy the fruits of crime,” Zaini said, adding that the prosecution had proven his case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge said the defendant had also alleged political conspiracy to bring down his political career.
“I say this, the Attorney General is vested with the power of prosecution to press charges and the judiciary has no role.
“We have made our court decision and decided the case based on the evidence. We are not involved in any mischief. “
On October 14, 2019, Tengku Adnan was ordered to participate in his defense as the court did not believe the former minister’s story that the 2 million ringgit he received was a political donation for Umno.
Zaini said at the time that evidence had shown that the money ended up in a company owned and run by the defendants.
The prosecution, through its initial statement, held that the RM2 million given to Tengku Adnan by Chai was intended for by-elections, adding that the former had initially asked the businessman for a sum of between RM5 million and RM6 million.
In his defense, Tengku Adnan, better known as Ku Nan, said that he did not personally benefit from Chai’s ringgit 2 million as the money was a “political donation”.
He added that he was a successful businessman before joining Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet in 2001 as a deputy minister.
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