He reiterated his not guilty plea after the charge was read out again when the case came up for mention for the first time before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan after its transfer from the Sessions Court.
The High Court, on Dec 14 last year, allowed the defence’s application to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court under Section 417 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The court set six days – July 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 – to hear the case.
Mohamed Zaini allowed an application by lawyer Tan Hock Chuan, representing Tengku Adnan, 68, for the temporary release of his client’s impounded passport, to travel overseas for business and also informed the court that his client also had two children studying overseas.
Mohamed Zaini allowed the return of Tengku Adnan’s passport until the next date of mention, which is Feb 28, with bail of RM500,000 in one surety.
The prosecution, conducted by deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim, did not object to the application. She informed the court that the case would be heard jointly with another corruption case involving the Member of Parliament for Putrajaya.
The charge read that Tengku Adnan, as a public servant then, namely, the Federal Territories minister, had accepted for himself something valuable with no reciprocity, namely, RM2 million from Chai Kin Kong via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to Syarikat Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd which had been deposited into the CIMB Bank account of Tadmansori Holding Sdn Bhd in which he had an interest, when it was known that Syarikat Aset Kayamas had connections with his official duties.
The Umno leader was charged with committing the offence at the CIMB Bank Berhad, Pusat Bandar Damansara Branch here on June 14, 2016, under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides jail of up to two years or fine or both, if found guilty.
Tengku Adnan had also pleaded not guilty to a charge of accepting a bribe of RM1 million from Tan Eng Boon via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Syarikat Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd which had been deposited into a CIMB Bank account belonging to him.
It was allegedly for approval of an application by a company to raise development related ratio in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur, in 2013.
This case will come up for mention before High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
According to the charge, the deed was made as a reward for himself because he had approved the application of Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) to raise the ratio of plot related with the development of Lot 228, Jalan Semarak, here.
Tengku Adnan was charged with perpetrating the deed at the CIMB Bank Berhad, Putra World Trade Centre Branch, Level 2, Podium Block, Putra World Trade Centre, Jalan Tun Ismail, here on Dec 27, 2013 under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
If found guilty, he could be jailed not more than 20 years and fined not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe which is the subject of the offence, or RM10,000, whichever is the higher.