Ex Petronas Exec Claims Trial To 37 Graft Charges

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Former Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd executive, Amal M Razalan, was charged in two separate sessions courts. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: A former Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB) executive pleaded not guilty in two separate sessions courts here to 37 counts of corruption and six counts of money laundering involving more than RM6 million.
Amal M Razalan, 36, entered the plea before judge Rozina Ayob for the corruption charges, and judge Azura Alwi for the money laundering charges.
For the first to 21st charges, Amal, who was a construction executive of PCSB, was accused of accepting bribes of between RM2,078 and RM216,903.19 from Majestika Sdn Bhd director Mustaza Zawawi through Maybank Bhd cheques belonging to the company and through MAMN Goldenvision Enterprise’s Maybank account.
He was charged with committing these offences in abetment with MAMN Goldenvision director Nazreen Hamid as an inducement for helping Faltech Engineering Sdn Bhd to secure civil and structural maintenance work for PCSB.
Amal was also charged with three counts of accepting bribes from SAP House Sdn Bhd project manager, Robert Khoo, via three cheques with amounts between RM50,000 and RM60,000 which were deposited into his Maybank business account, Goldentree Enterprise.
This was said to be an inducement for reviewing and approving documents related to the verification of work carried out by SAP House involving the contract between PCSB and Faltech Engineering Sdn Bhd.
The accused was also charged with 13 counts of accepting bribes amounting to between RM141,738.33 and RM825,503.60 from Khoo through 13 Maybank cheques belonging to SAP House as an inducement for approving a PCSB-Sarawak Operations service maintenance contract.
All the offences were allegedly committed at Maybank Bhd, Petronas Twin Towers, Jalan Ampang, between Dec 21, 2016 and Aug 1, 2019. The charges are framed under Section 16 (a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 read together with Section 28 (1) (c) and punishable under Section 24 of the same Act.
If convicted he could be jailed up to 20 years and fined five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
In addition, Amal was also charged with five counts of accepting RM798,985.49 through four bank accounts belonging to Nazreen. He was also charged with using RM140,348.61 in his two CIMB Bank Bhd accounts which were proceeds from illegal activities.
The offences were allegedly committed at Maybank Petronas Twin Towers, Jalan Ampang, Maybank at Dataran Maybank and CIMB Bank at Jalan Pantai Baharu between July 13, 2017 and March 18, 2022.
The charges are framed under Section 4 (1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Act 613) and punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same Act which provides for a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of illegal proceeds or RM5 million or imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or both, if convicted.
Rozina allowed bail of RM150,000 with one surety. Additionally, Amal has to surrender his passport to the court, report to the MACC Putrajaya office once a month and is barred from travelling abroad until the case is resolved. Meanwhile, Azura allowed the accused bail of RM30,000 with one surety.
Both courts set Feb 15 for mention. - FMT

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