I didn’t need RM2 mil ‘political donation’, Ku Nan tells court
Former minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor says the money was given by a businessman to help Umno in the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections in 2016
KUALA LUMPUR: Former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor told the High Court today that he did not personally benefit from RM2 million given by a businessman to his company in 2016 as the money was meant as a “political donation”.
He said that the money, from Chai Kin Kong, was meant to help Umno in the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections on June 18, 2016. The party’s candidates, Mastura Mohd Yazid and Budiman Zohdi, subsequently won both seats.
“With humility, I wish to state that I did not need the RM2 million money for myself.
“Before I joined the Cabinet in 2001 at the request of the then prime minister, I was a successful businessman and was involved in various businesses such as real estate, logging, manufacturing, trading, agricultural, hotel, livestock and food,” he said while testifying in his corruption case.
The prosecution previously said that Tengku Adnan had received money from Chai, a director in Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, for both by-elections and that the businessman had dealings with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which comes under Tengku Adnan’s ministry, as he wanted to buy two plots of land from the council.
Tengku Adnan said he asked Chai, whom he had known for over 30 years, to make a contribution to Umno and Barisan Nasional as they needed about RM5 million for the two by-elections.
“At that time, he (Chai) did not promise to donate any amount to Umno or BN but only stated that he would make a donation later.
“Later, he came back to me and said that he would donate RM2 million for the by-elections,” Tengku Adnan said.
Tengku Adnan also said that the businessman told him that he would not be able to raise RM2 million in cash in time for the by-elections.
“I have to use my own money first to pay for Umno’s expenses. He (Chai) only managed to hand me a RM2 million cheque a few days before the polling date,” he said.
Tengku Adnan said he had used around RM2 million from his own account to pay for the expenses and community activities that Umno carried out in Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar.
Previously, a bank officer from CIMB, Khairolrony Kamarudin testified that RM2 million from Chai’s Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd was deposited into the account of Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd and Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) registrar Muhammad Akmaludin Abdullah said that Tengku Adnan was Tadmansori’s biggest shareholder.
Lawyer Tan Hock Chuan had earlier told the court that the defence would show, through oral and documentary evidence, that Tengku Adnan did not commit an offence under Section 165 of Penal Code, where he was charged with allegedly receiving valuables without consideration as a public servant.
“We will be calling three to six witnesses for the defence case,” he added.
Tengku Adnan, commonly known as “Ku Nan”, was accused of receiving RM2 million from Chai, who was Aset Kayamas’s director, despite knowing that the businessman’s companies had dealings with the federal territories ministry which was under him at the time.
Tan also said that the defence would also be making an application to the court to have in-camera proceedings for Tengku Adnan to tender documents on his asset declarations.
“The documents are sensitive but they are important for our defence case,” he added.
In response, deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim told the court that the prosecution wanted to see a proper application before deciding on whether to object.
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The hearing continues on Jan 20 before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan. The court will also hear the defence’s application to hold the in-camera proceedings.