Zuraida Kamaruddin Crony Checkmated – Money-Laundering Charges Involving Over RM150 Million

Jazman Shahar Abdollah, along with his wife Mariam Zakaria and son Irfan Hadi, faced significant legal scrutiny. They were charged with 12 counts of money laundering involving over RM150 million (approximately USD 35 million) in two Sessions Courts in Kuala Lumpur. The charges relate to transactions allegedly conducted between October 2021 and January 2023, involving proceeds from unlawful activities tied to Kenaf Venture Global and an entity referred to as Syarikat Kenaf Trading Global Sdn Bhd. Specific allegations include:

• Jazman’s involvement in transactions totaling RM119.5 million and RM18 million, as well as transferring RM5.8 million to Sariah & Associates.
• Irfan Hadi’s role in transferring RM300,000 and disposing of RM3.3 million for property purchases.
• Mariam Zakaria’s disposal of RM1.6 million for a bungalow purchase and receiving RM4.2 million from an alleged illegal investment scheme called the “Kenaf Development Fund.”
• The money laundering charges against Jazman and his family cover transactions from October 2021 to January 2023, a period when Zuraida was the minister responsible for the kenaf sector (until November 2022). This overlap could suggest scrutiny over whether government contracts, subsidies, or policies under her watch facilitated or failed to prevent illicit financial activities.

Syarikat Kenaf Trading Global Sdn Bhd’s former chief executive officer, his wife and son were charged at two Sessions Courts here on Tuesday, with 12 counts involving money laundering of more than RM150 million.

Jazman Shahar Abdollah, 53, his wife Mariam Zakaria, 49, and their son, Irfan Hadi, 28, pleaded not guilty after the charges against them were read out before judges Hamidah Mohamed Deril and Azrul Darus. 

Jazman was charged with two counts of involvement in 17 transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to RM119,549,889.98, and three transactions involving RM18,002,804 between Oct 25, 2021 and Jan 10, 2023, at Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5 here.

The former CEO was also charged with being involved in 12 transactions involving money derived from unlawful activities amounting to RM5,833,619.07 to Sariah & Associates in Seberang Jaya, Penang, between March 1, 2022 and Jan 26, 2023, at the same location.

Meanwhile, Irfan Hadi was charged with transferring money from unlawful activities amounting to RM5 million through Maybank cheques from a current account belonging to Kenaf Trading Global to a Maybank current account belonging to AR Rizq Capital Bhd.

Irfan Hadi faced a second charge of transferring money from unlawful activities amounting to RM300,000 through a fund transfer instruction letter dated July 13, 2022 from a Maybank current account belonging to Kenaf Venture Global Sdn Bhd for the purpose of opening an account.

Irfan Hadi was also charged with disposing of proceeds from unlawful activities from Kenaf Venture’s account for the purpose of purchasing a 3,592 sq ft office unit in a commercial complex at Plaza Sentral, which was erected on the master title worth RM3,304,640.

The three offences were allegedly committed at Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5 here, between March 7 and July 22, 2022.

Mariam was charged with one count of disposing of money from unlawful activities amounting to RM1,634,882 through six Maybank cheques from the account of her firm, Sariah & Associates, for the purchase of a three-storey bungalow in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, which was committed at a building in Seberang Jaya, Penang, on March 25, 2022 and Jan 9, 2023.

She was also charged with disposing of money amounting to RM78,490.45 through Maybank cheques from the firm’s Maybank current account for the purchase of a sport utility vehicle in her son’s name at the same location on Dec 12, 2022.

Before judge Azrul, Jazman was charged with disposing of proceeds from unlawful activities from Kenaf Venture Global’s account for the purpose of purchasing a 3,592 sq ft office unit in a commercial complex at Plaza Sentral, which was erected on the ownership of the master title worth RM3,304,640, on June 24, 2022, at the plaza.

Mariam was also charged with three counts of receiving money from the illegal investment scheme “Kenaf Development Fund” amounting to RM4,238,663.81, which was deposited into the accused’s Maybank savings account between Oct 1, 2021 and Dec 31, 2023, at a building in Seberang Jaya, Penang.

All the offences were charged under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

The Section provides for a maximum jail term of 15 years, and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds of the unlawful activity or equipment of the offence at the time the offence was committed or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction. 

Kroni bekas Menteri, CEO Kenaf Venture Global, isteri dan anak didakwa ubah wang haram lebih RM150 juta

Bekas kroni Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi, Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Kenaf Trading Global Sdn Bhd, isteri serta anak lelakinya dihadapkan ke dua Mahkamah Sesyen atas 12 pertuduhan berkaitan pengubahan wang haram lebih RM150 juta.

Jazman Shahar Abdollah, 53, Mariam Zakaria, 49, dan Irfan Hadi, 28, masing-masing mengaku tidak bersalah selepas semua pertuduhan terhadap mereka dibacakan di hadapan dua hakim berbeza.

Di hadapan Hakim Hamidah Mohamed Deril, Jazman Shahar didakwa atas dua pertuduhan terlibat dalam 17 transaksi melibatkan wang hasil aktiviti haram berjumlah RM119,549,889.98 dan melakukan tiga transaksi membabitkan RM18,002,804 di Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5 di sini antara 25 Okt 2021 dan 10 Jan 2023.

Lelaki itu juga didakwa terbabit dalam 12 transaksi melibatkan wang hasil aktiviti haram iaitu RM5,833,619.07 kepada firma milik Mariam iaitu Sariah & Associates di Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang antara 1 Mac 2022 dan 26 Jan 2023 di lokasi sama.

Irfan Hadi pula didakwa memindahkan wang hasil aktiviti haram berjumlah RM5 juta melalui cek daripada akaun semasa milik syarikat Kenaf Trading Global ke dalam akaun semasa milik syarikat AR Rizq Capital Berhad.

Bagi pertuduhan kedua, Irfan Hadi didakwa memindahkan wang hasil aktiviti haram berjumlah RM300,000 melalui surat arahan pemindahan dana bertarikh 13 Julai 2022 daripada akaun semasa milik Kenaf Venture Global Sdn Bhd bagi tujuan pembukaan akaun.

Dia juga didakwa melupuskan hasil aktiviti haram daripada akaun Kenaf Venture bagi tujuan pembelian sebuah unit pejabat di kompleks komersial di Plaza Sentral yang didirikan atas hak milik induk geran bernilai RM3,304,640.

Semua kesalahan itu didakwa dilakukan Irfan Hadi di Plaza Sentral antara 7 Mac dan 22 Julai 2022.

Sementara itu, Mariam didakwa atas satu pertuduhan melupuskan wang hasil aktiviti haram berjumlah RM1,634,882 melalui enam cek daripada akaun Sariah & Associates bagi pembelian sebuah banglo tiga tingkat di Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor pada 25 Mac 2022 dan 9 Jan 2023 di Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang.

Wanita itu juga didakwa melupuskan wang haram berjumlah RM78,490.45 menerusi cek daripada akaun semasa firma tersebut, bagi pembelian sebuah kenderaan utiliti sukan (SUV) atas nama anaknya di lokasi sama pada 12 Dis 2022.

Sementara itu di hadapan Hakim Azrul Darus, Jazman Shahar didakwa melupuskan hasil aktiviti haram daripada akaun Kenaf Venture Global bagi tujuan pembelian sebuah unit pejabat di kompleks komersial di Plaza Sentral yang didirikan di atas hak milik induk geran bernilai RM3,304,640, pada 24 Jun 2022.

Mariam pula didakwa dengan tiga pertuduhan menerima wang hasil skim pelaburan haram Kenaf Development Fund berjumlah RM4,238,663.81 dimasukkan ke akaun simpanannya antara 1 Okt 2021 dan 31 Dis 2023 di sebuah bangunan di Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang.

Pendakwaan bagi semua kesalahan itu dibuat mengikut Seksyen 4(1) Akta Pencegahan Pengubahan Wang Haram, Pencegahan Pembiayaan Keganasan dan Hasil Daripada Aktiviti Haram 2001 yang memperuntukkan hukuman penjara maksimum 15 tahun dan denda tidak kurang lima kali ganda jumlah atau nilai hasil aktiviti haram atau RM5 juta, yang mana lebih tinggi, jika sabit kesalahan.

Kedua-dua mahkamah membenarkan jaminan RM60,000 terhadap Jazman Shahar, Mariam sebanyak RM30,000 dan RM20,000 kepada Irfan Hadi dengan seorang penjamin bagi semua pertuduhan berserta syarat mereka melaporkan diri di balai polis setiap bulan dan menyerahkan pasport kepada mahkamah sehingga kes selesai.

Kedua-dua mahkamah juga menetapkan 15 April ini untuk sebutan semula kesemua kes tersebut.

Pendakwaan dikendalikan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Megat Mahathir Megat Tharih Afendi manakala tiga beranak itu diwakili peguam Zahidah Md Zaman.

Kroni Zuraida Kamaruddin

Untuk rekod Kenaf Trading Global Sdn Bhd merupakan anak syarikat Kenaf Venture Global Bhd yang juga dikuasai oleh Jazman Shahar Abdollah dan anaknya Irfan Hadi.

Ketika Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin sebagai Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi beliau banyak menggunakan syarikat Kenaf Venture Global Bhd dalam segala urusan termasuk MOU dalam dan luar negara. Boleh dikatakan Jazman Shahar pembiaya pergerakan politik Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Berapa juta agaknya Zuraida Kamaruddin pernah pau syarikat pencuci wang haram ini?

Source : The Corporate Secret