As trial starts, court told Tengku Adnan accepted RM1m bribe for larger land in Jalan Semarak

Danial Dzulkifly

20 September 2019 at 3:40 am

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor is seen at the Kuala Lumpur High Court September 20, 2019. ― Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 ― The prosecution kicked off the corruption trial of Umno’s Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor today by portraying him as a lawmaker who abused his ministerial position for personal gratification.

In her opening statement, Deputy Public Prosecutor Julia Ibrahim said the former Federal Territories minister had abused his position to help tycoon Datuk Tan Eng Boon gain approval for a bigger plot of prime real estate on Jalan Semarak in the heart of Kuala Lumpur for a project by Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd, now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd.

“Testimonies will show that the accused assisted the application by Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd to be approved.

“The assistance from the accused was given through his relationship with other agencies that are related to the development planning as well as through letters that have been signed by the accused since the accused was the MP for Putrajaya and after being appointed as the federal territories minister,” she told the High Court.

The prosecution called two witnesses to testify today.

The first to take the stand was Daman Huri Nor from the Parliament and Constitution Affairs Section of the Prime Minister's Department who confirmed that Tengku Adnan was the federal territories minister and had received a salary of RM39,000 per month from 2013 to 2018.

The second witness was Muhammad Akmaludin Abdullah, a assistant registrar for Companies Commission of Malaysia, who confirmed the formation of all the companies named in the charge sheet.

Tengku Adnan, also known as Ku Nan, was Federal Territories minister from May 2013 to May 2018.

He is on trial after being charged with receiving a RM1 million Public Bank cheque from Tan through Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd deposited into his personal CIMB bank account as inducement for help greenlight the larger plot for development in land-strapped Kuala Lumpur.

The offence allegedly occurred on December 27, 2013.

Tan was at that time a director in Nucleus Properties and was known to Tengku Adnan.

Tan, 70, accepted a plea bargain earlier this week and pled guilty to abetting Tengku Adnan in soliciting the RM1 million bribe, for which he was sentenced to a fine of RM1.5 million in default of one year in prison.

Hearing adjourned after the two prosecution witnesses testified.

The trial will resume only next year, starting January 2 for two days before breaking and continue again from February 18 to 20, March 16 to 19 and March 31 to April 2.