KUALA LUMPUR: Former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has been found guilty of corruption by receiving RM2 million for himself from a businessman.
High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt against the Putrajaya Member of Parliament, who is popularly known as Ku Nan.
Tengku Adnan, who just celebrated his 70th birthday and his son's wedding yesterday, listened intently from the dock as the judge read out the verdict.
Tengku Adnan was represented by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, while the prosecution team was led by deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim.
In his testimony after being ordered to enter his defence, Tengku Adnan admitted that he received a RM2 million cheque from businessman Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong on June 14, 2016.
However, he claimed the money was for the campaign expenses of the Sungai Besar (Selangor) and Kuala Kangsar (Perak) by-elections on June 18 the same year.
The former Umno Secretary-General also told the court that the RM2 million given by Chai was like "pocket money" to him.
Tengku Adnan was charged in his capacity as a civil servant, namely Federal Territories Minister, with having received for himself a total of RM2 million from Chai, who is Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd (AKSB) director.
It was done via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to the company, which was deposited into a CIMB account owned by Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd (THSB), which Tengku Adnan has an interest in and is known to AKSB as being related to his official duties.
Tengku Adnan was accused of committing the offence under Section 165 of the Penal Code at the CIMB Bank Berhad, Pusat Bandar Damansara, here on June 14, 2016.
The offence carries a maximum two years' jail, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The High Court was supposed to have decided on the case on Nov 17, but the proceedings were adjourned following the enforcement of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
The trial of the case began on July 2 last year, with the prosecution calling 23 witnesses to testify.
The prosecution and defence submitted more than 80 items including the application documents of AKSB to develop Federal Territory Affordable Housing, a RM2 million cheque, bank statements, Umno annual statements and documents on the estimated expenditure for Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.
The witnesses called by the prosecution included two former Kuala Lumpur mayors, Tan Sri Ahmad Phesal Talib and Tan Sri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz as well as AKSB managing director Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong.
On June 30, the defence closed its case after calling four witnesses to testify over four days from March 4, with Tengku Adnan being called as the first defence witness.
Other witnesses called to give statements were Tengku Adnan's former political secretary Datuk Mohd Rafi Alli Hassan, Simpang Renggam Umno Division chief, Datuk Zakaria Dullah and former Sungai Besar by-election machinery director, Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar.
On Oct 14 last year, the High Court ordered Tengku Adnan to enter his defence on the corruption charge after finding the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against him.
Tengku Adnan chose to give his sworn statement from the witness stand and his defence proceedings were held on two days, Jan 17 and March 5.