Earlier today, Syed Saddiq pleaded not guilty to two charges of misappropriating a total of RM1.12 million belonging to Bersatu Youth – which he formerly headed.
Prosecutors said he misappropriated funds between April 8 and April 21 in 2018, but in a Facebook Live video today, the Muar MP said that Bersatu was temporarily de-registered on April 3 that year.
The Registrar of Societies (ROS) had deregistered the party after it failed to submit documents and details on its annual general meeting the year before as requested.
“When the party is suspended, the party’s (bank) accounts are also suspended and so are all its programmes.
“So logically and legally speaking, how can that be fundraising for a party?” he said, insisting that the fundraiser was held under his personal capacity as a candidate for the Muar parliamentary seat.
The former youth and sports minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration said the fundraiser took place on April 8.
He also said invites to the event in Gombak were written out by him in his personal capacity and not as Bersatu Youth chief.
He has been charged with withdrawing RM1 million from Bersatu Youth’s funds without the permission of the party’s supreme council and misusing RM120,000 in contributions for Bersatu’s GE14 campaign.
Regarding the first charge, he said that it was the youth wing’s treasurer who signed off on any withdrawals.
Syed Saddiq has been allowed bail of RM330,000 with one surety for both charges, and he has been ordered to surrender his passport to the court pending the disposal of his CBT case and report to the nearest Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office once a month.
He paid RM80,000 today and will have to settle the remaining RM250,000 by this Tuesday, and has started a fundraiser for the bail amount and his legal fees.
Syed Saddiq has claimed that the corruption charges against him are the result of his refusal to support the current administration. He also alleged that several other MPs are being “targeted” by the authorities with corruption investigations launched against them.
In response, Perikatan Nasional Youth youth leader Khairil Nizam Khirudin called the Muda president’s accusations “wild, immature and baseless”.
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