Norazeanti Miswan, 39, an assistant manager at Bank Muamalat’s PKNS Shah Alam branch, testified in former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s corruption trial that Mamfor Sdn Bhd issued 29 banker’s cheques to Bersatu between May 12, 2021 and Nov 16, 2022.
She said the 2021 transactions included RM2 million each on May 12 and June 10; RM2 million via four RM500,000 cheques on July 14; and RM1.5 million and RM500,000 on Aug 12 and Aug 13, respectively.
Norazeanti also said in 2022, the transactions included RM500,000 on Jan 13, RM1 million each on Feb 3 and Feb 7, and RM500,000 on Oct 8.
She said the company later transferred RM4.5 million to Bersatu via nine cheques of RM500,000 each on Nov 2; RM2 million via four cheques of RM500,000 each on Nov 7; RM1 million via two cheques of RM500,000 each on Nov 11; and RM1 million via two cheques of RM500,000 each on Nov 16.
During examination by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Norazeanti said the branch submitted suspicious activity reports to its headquarters for each transaction because the amounts were flagged as unusual.
Wan Shaharuddin: Why did these reports arise?
Norazeanti: Because there was suspicion over each of Mamfor’s transactions. The transactions to Bersatu were too frequent and involved large amounts.
Wan Shaharuddin: Throughout your career as a bank officer, are such transactions normally carried out by companies?
Norazeanti: No. I have not seen such transactions in other companies.
Wan Shaharuddin: Could you elaborate on the difference?
Norazeanti: Usually, companies make transactions in line with the nature of their business. I have not seen companies making payments to political parties.
She added that each cheque was marked as a “donation”. She said the company closed its account on Feb 26 last year.
Asked if the company made the same “donation” to other political parties such as PAS, DAP, or Umno, Norazeanti said no.
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, and businessman Azman Yusoff.
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 CIMB Bank on Jalan Stesen Sentral between Feb 25, 2021 and July 8, 2022.
The defence team comprises Amer Hamzah Arshad, 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.
Besides Wan Shaharuddin, the prosecution team includes Akram Gharib, Noralis Mat, Mahadi Jumaat, Alis Izzati Azurin Rusdi, and Safari Abdullah.
The hearing before Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin continues.