Azeez’s lawyer denies family funds in TH accounts were forfeited

PENANG JAYA: Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim's lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, has firmly denied claims on social media that the Malaysian government had confiscated RM18 million in funds belonging to Azeez's family members in Tabung Haji (TH) accounts. The lawyer emphasized that these savings were unrelated to the charges Azeez faces for abusing his position.

According to Arshad, the money in these accounts has no connection to TH funds or the pilgrims' fund. He stressed that merely holding savings in TH accounts does not imply that the money originated from TH.

Azeez has pleaded not guilty to charges of abusing his position to obtain perks and influencing the TH board of directors to approve an investment in Putrajaya Perdana, a company in which he allegedly had a stake. A screenshot circulating on social media purportedly shows an email from a TH staff member stating that over RM18.6 million in TH accounts held by Azeez's wife and four children had been forfeited.

The email detailed a RM2 million balance in the wife's account and RM4 million in each of the children's accounts, claiming none of the children had ever been employed. Amer Arshad dismissed these allegations, stating that the accounts and savings had been previously investigated but were never seized by the government. Furthermore, he denied any findings that the money constituted TH funds misappropriated by his client or proceeds from unlawful activities.

Amer Arshad urged all parties to report on the matter based on the facts presented in the charge sheet. Azeez and his family members, he emphasized, retain all their legal rights, including the right to challenge any false, misleading, or defamatory statements about the case.