KUALA LUMPUR: The defence in Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's corruption trial has sought to impeach a key prosecution witness for giving contradicting testimony in court.
Syed Saddiq's lead counsel Gobind Singh Deo asked Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid to exercise his judicial discretion on the matter after arguing that former Bersatu treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali's testimony differed from his witness statement.
He said the defence had been served with Razif's witness statement before the trial, but the prosecution later decided not to use it in proceedings in favour of getting the witness to provide oral evidence instead.
Gobind urged the judge to decide how the witness could be impeached in such circumstance.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin when asked why the prosecution did not mark Razif's witness statement, said it was part of their strategy in this trial.
Azhar then told the parties that he would give his ruling tomorrow.
Gobind, at the onset of today's hearing, pressed Razif about the withdrawal of RM1 million from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's (Bersatu) youth wing Armada's account.
He suggested that the withdrawal made by Razif as instructed by Syed Saddiq did not need any paperwork as it was meant for charity.
Razif disagreed as only RM80,000 from the amount was used for charitable works, and the balance was to raise Syed Saddiq's political profile.
Syed Saddiq is charged, as the then Armada chief entrusted with control of Armada funds, with abetting Rafiq with criminal breach of trust (CBT) of RM1 million of the organisation's funds.
He is alleged to have committed the offence at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.
The Muar member of parliament is also charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money.
He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering, namely two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
Syed Saddiq is accused of committing the offence at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.
The trial continues.