KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Bank Rakyat chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal was charged today with abetting the bank’s managing director Datuk Mustafha Abd Razak in criminal breach of trust of almost RM15 million. At the Sessions Court here, the Islamic cooperative bank chairman pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to a charge under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 409 of the same law. Section 409 relates to the offence of criminal breach of trust by a public servant or agent, which is punishable with a jail term of a minimum two years or maximum 20 years and with whipping, and shall also be liable to fine. Mustafha, who was charged in the same court, also claimed trial to a charge under Section 409 over the alleged breach of trust of the RM14,991,283.20 allocation for group managing expenditure that he was entrusted with. Both men were accused of committing the offences on March 11 this year at the Menara Kembar Bank Rakyat at Jalan Travers. Abdul Aziz and Mustafha, aged 65 and 48 respectively, were reported to be linked to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe in relation to a RM15 million contract to publish a book on a national leader. Abdul Aziz was previously arrested on August 29 and remanded for a week to assist in an MACC investigation. He was released on a RM100,000 bail Monday as the anti-graft agency did not ask for further remand. Today, Abdul Aziz’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court that he wanted to notify it of alleged “coercion” on his client during “interrogation” by three MACC officers before his statement was recorded last weekend. “He was coerced and put under pressure to make certain statements. “I just want to put (this on record) so when this matter is taken up—if it is to be taken up, it is not going to be alleged it is an afterthought,” he said. Sessions Court judge Madihah Harullah ordered both men to each post RM400,000 bail with one surety each and also ordered that their passports be surrendered to the court. Both cases will be heard together and will come up for mention on October 10.
Bank Rakyat's chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal and managing director Datuk Mustafha were charged over a criminal breach of trust of almost MYR 15m ($3.1m); they pleaded not guilty. Both cases will be held together in today.