Ismail Sabri charged with failing to declare assets, pleads not guilty

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was charged in a Kuala Lumpur court on August 27 with failing to declare assets, including RM14.7 million in cash and millions in various foreign currencies, as well as gold bars, according to prosecutors.

The charge alleges that Ismail Sabri provided a written statement that did not comply with a notice issued by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on January 7, 2025, requiring him to declare specified assets. The assets listed in the charge include cash in various currencies, Suisse Fine Gold bars, and other monetary values.

Ismail Sabri, 66, who represents the Bera constituency, pleaded not guilty before Judge Suzana Hussin. The offence is alleged to have been committed at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on February 7, 2025, and could carry a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to RM100,000 upon conviction.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan, sought a bail amount of RM500,000 with one surety and the surrender of Ismail Sabri's passport. However, the court dismissed the application for passport surrender and set bail at RM300,000 with one family member as surety. The case was further postponed after Ismail Sabri was admitted to the National Heart Institute for possible arrhythmia and to undergo a pacemaker implantation procedure.