UMNO LAWYER CHARGED WITH MONEY LAUNDERING
He allegedly deposited RM15m in 2 cheques issued by Najib into his firm’s account
TOP Umno lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun was charged at the Sessions Court yesterday with two counts of money laundering in 2014.
He is charged with depositing cheques worth RM15 million from Datuk Seri Najib Razak into his law firm’s bank account between April and November of that year.
The Umno legal adviser and disciplinary board member, who is known for handling Najib’s civil cases, pleaded not guilty before judge Azman Ahmad.
Clad in a black suit, Hafarizam, 47, looked composed as the charges were read to him in a courtroom packed with staff members and lawyers from his law firm, Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak (HWAM).
According to the first charge, Hafarizam had allegedly engaged in depositing proceeds of unlawful activities totalling RM11,500,000 in two AmIslamic Bank Bhd cheques written by Najib into the client account of HWAM at CIMB Bank Bhd.
He allegedly committed the offence at CIMB Bank’s PWTC branch at Menara Dato’ Onn, Jalan Tun Ismail, here between April 16 and Nov 4, 2014.
On the second count, Hafarizam had allegedly committed the same offence by depositing RM3,500,000 via a cheque written by Najib from the same bank into the law firm’s bank account.
Hafarizam, who is the managing partner of the law firm, allegedly committed the offence at the same place on Feb 12, 2015.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam proposed RM500,000 bail in one surety and for the accused to surrender his passport.
Hafarizam’s counsel, Hasnal Rezua Merican, confirmed that they agreed to the bail amount and condition.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told the court that a case against one Paul Geoffrey Stadlen had been registered at the magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
“A warrant of arrest has been issued and if (Stadlen) is arrested and physically charged in court, we will apply for a joint trial of his case and Hafarizam’s case,” he said.
The judge then allowed the accused RM500,000 bail in one surety and ordered him to surrender his passport.
The case will be up for mention on March 25.
Stadlen, a British national who was Najib’s former media adviser, was charged in absentia on Wednesday with two money-laundering charges involving RM15 million.