Ex-Tabung Haji chief freed of 4 money laundering charges, to face 9 others

Former Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim today failed in his bid at the Court of Appeal to strike out nine charges, three of corruption and six of money laundering, against him.

A three-man bench comprising judges Kamaludin Md Said, Abu Bakar Jais and Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali ruled that the nine charges against Azeez were not defective.

In a unanimous decision delivered by Abu Bakar, the court ordered Azeez's trial for the nine charges to resume in the Sessions Court.

Abu Bakar, who read the court's unanimous decision, however allowed Azeez's appeal to partly nullify four of the money laundering charges.

Azeez was charged at the Sessions Court with three counts of accepting bribes amounting to RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah, and 10 counts of money laundering involving a total of RM13.9 million allegedly received from Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd.

The offences were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 8, 2010 and at Affin Bank, Puchong City Centre, Selangor, on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018.

Azeez was charged with committing the money laundering offences in the Klang Valley area between March 8, 2010 and Aug 30, 2018.

Azeez was appealing against a High Court decision on March 12 last year, dismissing his application to strike out the three corruption charges and 10 money laundering charges.