KUALA LUMPUR - Former Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to five charges of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM1.06 million.
Azlan, 64, made the plea after the charges were read out to him before Judge Azura Alwi.
"I plead not guilty and claim trial," said Azlan.
According to the five charges, Azlan is alleged to have received proceeds from unlawful activities, totalling RM1,059,675.25 from Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours (W) Sdn Bhd, Aidil Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd and Abdul Rahim Halim, on behalf of Aidil Travel.
He was alleged to have received the money through three Maybank cheques and one CIMB cheque which was deposited into his Maybank and CIMB accounts, and in cash from Abdul Rahim.
He is charged with committing the offence at the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman Maybank branch here, CIMB Bank branch in Putrajaya and Sheraton Imperial Hotel here, between Feb 19, 2014, and December 2017.
All the charges are framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which is punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law act.
The section provides a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and can be fined not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds of the illegal activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if convicted.
Azlan was Pauh Assemblyman from 2013 to 2018, before winning the Bintong state seat in 2018. He failed to defend the seat in the last general election in 2022.
Azlan served as the Perlis Menteri Besar from 2013 to 2022.
Azura allowed Azman bail of RM50,000 with one surety for all the charges and fixed June 9 for mention, as requested by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Ahmad Akram Gharib.
Earlier, Ahmad Akram also told the court that the prosecution did not request additional conditions for the accused to surrender his passport to the court because it had been handed over to the Kangar Sessions Court last Monday.
The DPP also informed the court that the prosecution would request for Azman's case at the Kangar Sessions Court to be transferred to the Sessions Court here to be tried together.
Azlan was represented by lawyer Burhanudeen Abdul Wahid.
Last Monday (April 10), Azlan pleaded not guilty at the Kangar Sessions Court to five counts of submitting false overseas travel claims amounting to more than RM1.18 million between 2013 and 2017. - BERNAMA