Bank Rakyat execs freed of CBT
Prosecution withdraws charges against Mustafha and Abdul Aziz
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Bank Rakyat managing director Datuk Mustafha Abd Razak and the bank’s ex-chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal were acquitted from a criminal breach of trust (CBT) and abetment charge each involving nearly RM15mil.
The charges against Mustafha and Abdul Aziz were in relation to a RM15mil biography book project on a prominent political figure.
Sessions Court judge Madihah Harullah freed Mustafha, 50, and Abdul Aziz, 67, after Deputy Public Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz informed the court that they had withdrawn the charges against them.
Judge Madihah ordered the bails imposed and passports impounded by the court be returned to the accused.
Earlier, DPP Afzainizam said: “We received a letter of representation from the defence and we had considered the reasons stated in the letter. Therefore, we would like to withdraw the charges against the first and second accused.”
The letter of representation was sent to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) on June 1 and the AGC replied on June 25.
Mustafha and Abdul Aziz were charged on Sept 7, 2016, where they claimed trial to the charges.
Mustafha allegedly committed the offence related to the bank’s group marketing expenditure allocation at Bank Rakyat Twin Tower, No. 33 Jalan Travers here on March
11, 2016 and was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code.
Abdul Aziz who was entrusted with the allocation of group marketing expenses that totalled RM14,991,283.20, was charged with abetting Mustafha in committing CBT at the same time and place. Met outside the court, Abdul Aziz
thanked the lawyers and the AGC.
“This proved that both of us are innocent. Not just us, our families suffered when we were produced in court,” said Abdul Aziz.
To a question whether the accused still held positions at Bank Rakyat, lawyer Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, who acted for
Mustafha, said his client and Abdul Aziz had been dismissed by the bank, adding that they would file a suit against the dismissal.