This followed a decision by High Court judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid to dismiss the application by defence counsel Gobind Singh Deo for a copy of the recorded statement by the 13th prosecution witness, Rafiq Hakim Razali, the former Bersatu youth wing, or Armada, assistant treasurer.

Gobind applied for the statement, saying there were contradictions in Rafiq’s testimony in court and the one recorded by MACC.

According to him, the discrepancy was over the time and place where Syed Saddiq was alleged to have instructed Rafiq and Armada assistant secretary Ahmad Redzuan Mohamed Shafi to withdraw RM1 million and the purpose of a fundraising event in Muar.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin objected to the application on the grounds that the defence had failed to convince the court that it had met the requirements under Section 51 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged as the then Bersatu youth chief, who was entrusted with control of its funds, with abetting Rafiq with criminal breach of trust involving RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.

For the second charge, he is alleged to have misused property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya here, between April 8 and 21, 2018.

He also faces two counts of engaging in money-laundering activities, namely two transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be the proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.

The hearing continues.