Prosecution to file appeal against Syed Saddiq's acquittal - Azam

Summary

• Prosecutors will file appeal against Syed Saddiq’s acquittal, says MACC chief Azam Baki.

• This follows the Court of Appeal decision this morning that acquitted Syed Saddiq of four charges related to CBT misappropriation of property and money laundering involving Bersatu Youth funds.

The prosecution will be taking the RM1.12 million corruption case against Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to the apex court after the appellate court acquitted the Muar MP of all charges, said MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.

“I have been informed by the public prosecutor that they will appeal to the Federal Court,” Azam told a press conference at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today.

The Court of Appeal this morning acquitted Syed Saddiq of the four charges related to criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property and money laundering involving Bersatu Youth funds.

The decision was made by a three-judge panel chaired by Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, together with Azman Abdullah and Noorin Badaruddin.

Several failures

In reading the judgment, Noorin said the bench found several failures by the prosecution.

She said they had failed to prove the charge of abetting a former Bersatu Youth leader in committing criminal breach of trust involving RM1 million in wing funds.

They also failed to show dishonest intent when Syed Saddiq ordered the funds to be withdrawn, she added.

The prosecution failed to prove that Syed Saddiq’s actions led to wrongful gain for himself or wrongful loss for Bersatu Youth.

The court also found that the prosecution failed to present credible evidence and facts to support the charge that Syed Saddiq had misappropriated RM120,000.

Noorin said there was no evidence proving that the money either belonged to Bersatu Youth or Syed Saddiq.

Further, the bench found that the High Court had erred in not fully evaluating the entirety of Syed Saddiq’s defence, leading to the conviction.

The court accepted the former youth and sports minister’s appeal of the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision, which was made on Nov 9, 2023, that found him guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison, two strokes of the cane, and a fine of RM10 million.

Syed Saddiq has maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated.

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