Court views clips of bags being moved out of ex-top spy’s office

Several officers from the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) were seen pulling black and red bags and suitcases to and from the floors housing the offices of former director-general of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO), Hasanah Ab Hamid and her deputies.

This was based on clips from 163 CCTV files screened for almost an hour at the High Court today, during Hasanah’s trial for criminal breach of trust involving US$12.1 million (RM50.4 million) when she was headed JPM’s Research Division.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Farid Ahmad Kamal played the CCTV recordings during his examination-in-chief of Badri Azni, 37, an investigating officer at the Technological Forensic Division of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The recordings showed several men moving the luggage using the lifts on levels 1 and 7, and car porch of Block B4, JPM, on April 30 and May 9, 2018.

However, the court was not told of the contents of the bags.

When asked by Hasanah’s lawyer Muhammad Ashraff Mohd Diah during cross-examination whether the accused was seen in the hundreds of files shown in court today, Badri, the eighth prosecution witness, said: “No.”

Another witness, Norrashid Mahmud, 59, a former auxiliary policeman at JPM, said he could recognise all of the individuals seen in the CCTV recordings.

“They are administrative and diplomatic officers at Block 4, JPM (Research Division),” the ninth prosecution witness said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari on the sixth day of the trial.

When reading out his witness statement, Norrashid said he knew all of the officers and staff in the division because he had worked there for more than 20 years before retiring on Oct 20 last year.

Hasanah, 64, is charged with CBT in her capacity as the director-general of JPM’s Research Division, involving RM50.4 million belonging to the Malaysian government.

The charge under Section 409 of the Penal Code provides for a jail term of up to 20 years, and a whipping and fine upon conviction.

The hearing before judge Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh resumes on Monday.

However, the media and members of the public will not be allowed in court from April 12 to 16, as 11 prosecution witnesses will be giving evidence in-camera involving issues of national security.