Jamil Khir cabar 3 tuduhan lupus aset TH RM860 juta

Former Malaysian Deputy Religious Minister Jamil Khir Baharom plans to challenge three charges of illegally pocketing Malaysian Hajj Fund (TH) assets worth RM860.3 million in a Kuala Lumpur high court. Khir, 65, has retained lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh to represent him, who informed the court that several applications will be filed, including challenging charges brought against his son.

The prosecution will submit documents, including passport-related matters, after examining the evidence handed over by the prosecution. Earlier, Deputy Prosecutor Nidzuwan Abd Latip informed the court that one set of documents has been handed over to the defense, with more to follow, including bank documents. Social media statements may influence the court's decision, and the public should understand that any verdict will come from the court, not social media.

The lawyer has identified potential accounts for the court to review to prevent subjudicial actions that could lead to contempt proceedings. The court has set a rescheduling date of January 14 for further proceedings and the submission of additional documents. On September 14, Khir was charged with falsely causing the TH to disburse RM42,942,074 (44.17 million Saudi Arabian Riyals) to a Saudi-based real estate and project management company, Al-Rawda Real Estate Development And Projects Management Co Ltd (Al-Rawda), on April 3, 2015.

The second charge alleges he falsely caused TH to disburse RM288,172,134.64 (250 million Saudi Arabian Riyals) to Al-Rawda on December 14, 2016. For the third charge, Khir is accused of falsely causing TH to disburse RM529,194,561.87 (471 million Saudi Arabian Riyals) to Al-Rawda on August 17, 2017. He faces up to six months' imprisonment and a fine under Section 403 of the Penal Code if found guilty of any of the charges.