KUALA LUMPUR: Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan will stand trial today for 18 money laundering charges at the Sessions Court, here.
The trial, before Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayub, is set to span 22 days from March to August.
The prosecution plans to summon up to 50 witnesses, including bank employees, representatives from the Companies Commission of Malaysia as well as politicians.
Initially charged in February and October last year, the Bersatu lawmaker denounced the allegations against him as a government ploy to deflect attention from its perceived shortcomings.
Wan Saiful was previously charged under Section 4(1)(b) Anti-Money Laundering Act, which was read together with Section 87(1)(a) under the same Act.
He will be represented by lawyer Chetan Jethwani.
According to the charges, Wan Saiful, as the director of the WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, was charged with transferring funds worth a total of RM1.66 million believed from illegal proceeds to several companies and individuals, including to a car dealership to buy Ford Ranger worth RM78,800, as well as RM180,000 to the National Sports Council (NSC), RM38, 160 to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd and several others, between Aug 12 and Nov 13, last year.