Court allows Hafarizam’s bid to replace surety

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court here has allowed the application of Umno legal adviser Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun who is facing two charges of money laundering amounting to RM15mil to change his guarantor.

Judge Azman Ahmad made the decision after hearing the application by counsel Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican who is representing Mohd Hafarizam.

Hasnal Rezua told the court that his client applied to change his surety in the case as Aisha Mubarak is no longer a partner of the firm.

“In this regard, to create a nexus, we apply to replace Aisha with Noor Arlisma Zainul Ariff,” he said.

The court later allowed the application for the surety to be replaced under the same terms and sum for bail.

On Feb 21, Mohd Hafarizam was charged with being involved directly in two transactions involving proceeds of money laundering amounting to RM11.5mil via two AmIslamic Bank Bhd cheques owned by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that were banked into the bank account of Tetuan Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak (HWAM) at CIMB Bank Bhd.

He was accused of committing the act at CIMB Bank branch in PWTC, Suite 1, Level 5, Menara Dato’ Onn, Jalan Tun Ismail, here between April 16, 2014 and Nov 4, 2014.

For the second charge, Mohd Hafarizam was accused of committing the same offence involving RM3.5mil through an AmIslamic Bank Bhd cheque owned by Najib banked into the legal firm’s bank account at CIMB Bank Bhd at the same place on Feb 12, 2015. — Bernama