The remittance of RM888,000 by Pembangunan Pelancongan Malaysia Berhad (Pempena) to LCL Interior for the Malaysia Restaurant project in Dubai, was still in LCL Corporation, managing director Low Chin Meng's account, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court was told today.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mohd Nasarudin Amir said, when Low was under investigation, the money was still in his account.

The 40-year-old senior enforcement assistant chief said Low had informed the MACC that he did not refund the money to Pempena because the company, which is also Tourism Malaysia's subsidiary, had never asked for the money.

"I asked Low, why he did not refund the RM888,000, even though the project was cancelled, and he replied that Pempena did not ask for the money to be refunded," he said when testifying in the criminal breach of trust (CBT) trial involving former Tourism Malaysia director-general Mirza Mohammad Taiyab and former Pempena chief operating officer Mohammad Rosly Md Selamat.

When Mirza's counsel, Saseedharan Menon, asked why Mohd Nasarudin did not confiscate the money, he said: "I cannot confiscate it. Pempena is the one that should reclaim it."

Meanwhile, the 11th prosecution witness also agreed that Mirza was in Sri Lanka on Feb 27, 2007, after Saseedharan submitted a copy of Mirza's passport before Judge Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh.

Earlier, when asked whether he knew that Mirza was not in the country on the said date (Feb 27, 2007), Mohd Nasarudin said: "I didn't know because I didn't investigate it."

Mohd Nasarudin also agreed that the remittance of RM888,000 was not made on Feb 22, 2007, but on March 5, the same year.

He also agreed that Mirza did not sign the remittance form on March 5, 2007, in which RM888,000 was paid by Pempena to LCL Interior for the restaurant project in Dubai.

On Aug 16, 2010, Mirza, 55, and Mohammad Rosly, 58, pleaded not guilty to CBT by approving an RM888,000 remittance into LCL Interior's account in Dubai on Feb 27, 2007, for the Malaysia Restaurant, in non-compliance of the project's terms of approval.

They allegedly committed the offence at Pempena's office in Menara Dato' Onn, Putra World Trade Centre here on Feb 27, 2007, and face up to 20 years' imprisonment, fine and possible whipping under Section 409 of the Penal Code, upon conviction.

The trial resumes on Thursday.

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- Bernama