KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom was charged in the Sessions Court today with three counts of causing the Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) to dispose of RM860,308,770.51, or SAR766,060,237 (Saudi Riyals), belonging to the institution to Saudi Arabia-based property development and project management company Al-Rawda Real Estate Development and Projects Management Co Ltd (Al-Rawda).
Jamil Khir, 65, who is also former Jerai MP, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before Judge Rosli Ahmad.
According to all three charges, Jamil Khir, in his capacity as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), is alleged to have dishonestly caused the TH Board to dispose of its property, namely RM42,942,074 equivalent to SAR44.170 million, RM288,172,134.64 (SAR250,041,622) and RM529,194,561.87 (SAR471,848,615), to Al-Rawda.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) office, Level 9, Block D7, Complex D, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya on April 3, 2015, and at the same office at Level 10, Block A, Putrajaya Islamic Complex on Dec 14, 2016 and Aug 17, 2017.
The charges were framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of between six months and five years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.
