Ku Nan given discharge not amounting to acquittal in RM1 million bribery case

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has given former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for his charge of accepting a RM1 million bribe from a businessman in 2013.

Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali made the decision after deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim informed the court that the prosecution had decided to discontinue the case against Tengku Adnan, 69.

“There is a new development in this case which needs to be further investigated. The prosecution does not want to waste the court’s time as we do not know how much time is needed to investigate this development.

“We cannot divulge this in detail. What can be told is that there was a complaint made to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission about one of the witnesses in this case.

“Therefore, the prosecution is seeking an order to discharge the accused not amounting to an acquittal of the charge,” said Julia.

Hearing of the case started on Sept 20, 2019 with the prosecution calling two witnesses to give their evidence, proceedings for which should have continued today.

Tengku Adnan, better known as Ku Nan, pleaded not guilty on Nov 15, 2018 to a charge of receiving a RM1 million bribe from Tan Eng Boon through a Public Bank cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd and deposited into the former minister’s CIMB Bank account.

The offence was said to have been committed as a reward for assisting in the application made by Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) to increase the plot ratio of a piece of land related to the development of Lot 228, Jalan Semarak which was approved by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Putra World Trade Centre branch of CIMB Bank Bhd at Jalan Tun Ismail on Dec 27, 2013.

Tengku Adnan also faced an alternative charge of receiving RM1 million from Tan without any reward through Public Bank cheque number 300109 deposited into his account.

He was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine or both upon conviction.