Herdayanti Hassan, an assistant manager at CIMB Bank’s Bukit Tunku branch, testified in former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s corruption trial that businessman Azman Yusoff issued four cheques totalling RM4 million from his account, which were subsequently deposited into Bersatu’s accounts.
During examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Alis Izzati Azurin Rusdi, the witness said the bank statements showed two cheques for RM2 million and RM1 million, both issued on Sept 21, 2021.
The 44-year-old banker said two more cheques of RM500,000 each were issued on Nov 3, 2022.
Herdayanti said the transactions appeared in bank statements for Azman’s account, which listed KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd’s address in Section 13, Shah Alam, as its correspondence address.
When cross-examined by defence counsel Amer Hamzah Arshad, the witness said she was unsure of the purpose of the transactions.
Another bank officer, Alfian Othman, 57, testified that construction firm Nepturis Sdn Bhd issued a RM1 million cheque to Bersatu, which was cleared on Feb 21, 2022.
The assistant manager at Maybank’s Kota Kemuning branch said the transaction was recorded in a bank statement dated Feb 28, 2022.
When questioned by Amer about the recipients, Alfian agreed that none of the payments was made to Muhyiddin personally.
Amer: In these transactions, not a single payment was made to Muhyiddin, do you agree?
Alfian: Agree.
Amer: They were only to Bersatu?
Alfian: That’s right.
The two witnesses were among five bank officers called by the prosecution to verify transactions involving millions of ringgit into Bersatu’s accounts.
In earlier proceedings, three bank officers testified to transactions amounting to RM800,000, RM6 million, and RM19.3 million, respectively, involving the party.
Muhyiddin, 78, faces seven charges linked to the Jana Wibawa programme, a government initiative introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist Bumiputera contractors.
The Bersatu president is charged with four counts of abusing his position to solicit RM225.3 million in bribes for the party from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd and Azman.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Office between March 1, 2020, and Aug 20, 2021.
Muhyiddin also faces three counts of money laundering involving RM200 million, allegedly received from Bukhary Equity and deposited into Bersatu’s accounts at AmBank and CIMB Bank.
The offences are said to have taken place at AmBank in Petaling Jaya and at CIMB Bank on Jalan Stesen Sentral between Feb 25, 2021, and July 8, 2022.
The defence team comprises Amer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Rosli Dahlan, Chetan Jethwani, K Kumaraendran, Kee Wei Loon, Low Wei Loke, Siti Summaiyah Ahmad Jaafar, Lee Yei Wei, Tang Jia Yearn and Joshua Tay.
The prosecution team includes Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Akram Gharib, Noralis Mat, Mahadi Jumaat, Alis Izzati Azurin Rusdi and Safari Abdullah.
The trial before Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin continues on April 28.