00:00 Three big guns of charitable organization Aman Palestine pleaded not guilty to multiple
00:07 charges at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Thursday for misappropriating some 85 million
00:13 ringgit sourced from public donations.
00:16 Fifty-eight-year-old executive director Abdullah Zayk Abdul Rahman and 52-year-old CEO Awang
00:23 Sufian Awang Piyut were accused of embezzling about 39.5 million ringgit each while 42-year-old
00:30 director Khairuddin Mohamed Ali had allegedly misappropriated about 6 million ringgit.
00:37 All three were also directors of Syarikat Samudra Champa, which had allegedly utilized
00:42 Aman Palestine funds to purchase houses, shop lots, and land in various locations.
00:49 Some of the charges were for purchasing gold at a cost higher than the stipulated market
00:53 price.
00:54 The offenses were allegedly committed between 2018 and 2023.
00:59 The charges were framed under Section 4, Bracket 1 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism
01:05 Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act, as well as Section 409 and 420 of the
01:13 Penal Code for Embezzlement and Cheating.
01:16 A total of 164 charges were read, with 161 of then-involving Abdullah Zayk and Awang
01:23 Sufian.
01:24 The court spent nearly two hours reading through the 89-page summary of charges before Judge
01:30 Anita Haroon.
01:31 The court set bail at 1 million ringgit, with one surety for Awang Sufian and Abdullah Zayk,
01:38 with 500,000 ringgit to be deposited on Thursday and the remaining on March 13, which is the
01:44 date set for case mention.
01:47 As for Khairuddin, a 200,000 ringgit bail with one surety was set, and he was ordered
01:54 to make a 100,000 ringgit payment on Thursday with the remaining amount to be settled in
01:59 a month's time.
02:01 Judge Anita also ordered for their passports to be surrendered to the court.
02:06 According to the organization's website, Aman Palestine was formed in 2004 with an
02:11 aim to channel aid and look out for the welfare and human rights of Palestinians.
02:17 The MACC launched a probe last October over allegations that the organization's funds
02:23 were allegedly diverted for purposes other than the objectives behind the establishment
02:28 of the company.
02:29 The U.S. Department of Justice has not responded to requests for comment.
02:34 [ Silence ]
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