Wan Saiful slapped with 18 new money laundering charges

The former Bersatu information chief pleads not guilty to all the charges at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court.

(FMT) – Former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan has claimed trial to 18 new charges of money laundering totalling close to RM6 million.

Wan Saiful, who is the Tasek Gelugor MP, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him before sessions court judge Suzana Hussin today.

The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla), which provides for up to 15 years’ jail and a minimum fine of RM5 million, upon conviction.

The charge sheet read that Wan Saiful, as a director of WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, had committed the offence between Aug 12 and Nov 13, 2022.

The charges were in connection with the purchase of a four-wheel drive vehicle worth RM78,800, the transfers of RM3.169 million into his personal bank account, RM180,000 to the National Sports Council, RM38,160 to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd, as well as numerous other transfers to third party accounts belonging to individuals and companies.

Wan Saiful was accused of transferring the money gained from illicit activities from the bank account of WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd to those accounts.

Suzana allowed bail of RM400,000 from the previous cases and ordered Wan Saiful to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters twice a month.

The case will be mentioned on Dec 1.

Lawyers Amer Hamzah and K Kumaraendran represented Wan Saiful, while deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan prosecuted.

Wan Saiful is already facing two charges linked to the Jana Wibawa initiative, a stimulus package introduced by the then Perikatan Nasional-led government to help Bumiputera contractors during the Covid-19 pandemic.