Former Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) Sdn Bhd managing director Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor must be in court on Aug 15 to decide if he is fit to stand trial for corruption charges.

Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin set the date after deputy public prosecutor Nik Haslinie Hashim told her about the High Court rejecting Ahmad Ramli’s application to strike out the charges against him.

Nik Haslinie told the court that, in dismissing Ahmad Ramli’s application, the High Court returned the case to the Sessions Court for the trial judge to evaluate the applicant’s mental fitness.

Ramli, a former Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) commander, is facing three charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM21.08 million related to the RMN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project.

He filed a motion in April, seeking the court to strike out the charges and discharge him from all the charges because of his health condition.

His daughter, Rinnie Nor Ahmad Ramli, 50, in her supporting affidavit, stated her father was diagnosed with “progressive neurodegenerative” disease, a condition consistent with “moderate mixed dementia”.

Lawyer Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, representing Ahmad Ramli, then requested the court to set a date for mention since his client was not in court today and promised to ensure his client’s presence in court on that day.

Last Friday, High Court Judge Azhar Abdul Hamid dismissed Ahmad Ramli’s application, finding the issue of the applicant’s mental fitness to stand trial and defend himself needed to be assessed by a trial judge.

He also ordered the case be returned to the Sessions Court for the trial judge to evaluate Ahmad Ramli’s mental fitness.

Ahmad Ramli’s charges

Ramli was charged on Aug 16, 2022, with being the BNS managing director entrusted with the company’s funds, to have committed CBT by approving a payment of RM13,541,140 to the account of Syarikat Setaria Holding Limited, Standard Chartered Bank, 6 Battery RD, Singapore 049909, without the approval of the BNS board of directors.

The offence was allegedly committed at BNS, 17th floor, Menara Boustead, 69 Jalan Raja Chulan, between July 26, 2010, and March 25, 2011.

On the second charge, he was alleged to have approved payment of RM1,360,716 to the account of JSD Corporation, the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, 65 Chulia Street, OCBC Centre, Singapore, without the approval of the BNS board of directors at the same place between April 19, 2011, and May 4, 2011.

He was also charged with committing a similar offence by approving a payment of RM6,182,295 to the account of Syarikat Sousmarin Armada Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, 6 Battery Road, Singapore at the same place between Oct 28, 2010, and Nov 22, 2010.

The three charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years with whipping and is liable to a fine.

- Bernama

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