Court rejects Syed Saddiq's application to challenge credibility of key witness

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed an application by the defence to challenge the credibility of a key prosecution witness in the trial of former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is facing charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.

The defence had sought to challenge the credibility of the 13th prosecution witness, Rafiq Hakim Razali, who is the former assistant treasurer of the Bersatu Youth wing, following discrepancies between his testimony in court and his statement recorded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2020 on the withdrawal of RM1 million from the wing's bank account.

Judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid, in handing down his decision, said there was no need to challenge the credibility of the witness.

"After examining the oral testimony and recording of the witness' conversation, the court finds that there were minor differences which are not of material or serious contradictions. Therefore, the application by defence to challenge the credibility of the witness is dismissed," he said.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing Syed Saddiq, then requested that a copy of the witness statement recorded by MACC be handed over to the defence. The court set this afternoon to hear the application.
 
The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.

On July 25, the High Court ordered the prosecution to hand over a copy of the witness statement recorded by MACC in 2020 for scrutiny and consideration.

Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged as the then Bersatu Youth chief, entrusted with the control of its funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim with CBT of RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing at CIMB Bank, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, on March 6, 2020.

He is also alleged to have misused property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, by causing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya, between April 8 and 21, 2018.

He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities through two transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputra account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.