This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on November 13, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: New trial dates have been set for the corruption case involving former federal territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. The dates are Feb 18-20, March 4-5, 9-11, 31, and April 1-2, 7-8, 2020.

High Court deputy registrar Mahyudin Mohd Som fixed the dates during case management yesterday, after both the prosecution and defence submitted letters saying the previously set dates were not suitable for them.

Tengku Adnan, better known as Ku Nan, on Nov 15 last year pleaded not guilty to a charge of corruptly receiving RM1 million from businessman Datuk Tan Eng Boon to approve a company’s application to increase the plot ratio for a development along Jalan Semarak here.

Tengku Adnan was charged under Sections 16 and 24(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 for receiving the bribe.

If convicted, he could be jailed up to 20 years and fined five times the bribe amount.

Tan, meanwhile, was fined RM1.5 million in September after he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of abetting Tengku Adnan in receiving the RM1 million bribe.

Tengku Adnan has also been ordered to enter his defence in another trial involving an alleged RM2 million bribe. High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said the prosecution has proven a prima facie case against him notwithstanding his claim that the RM2 million was a donation supported by a receipt.

Tengku Adnan, who is also former Umno and Barisan Nasional secretary-general, is alleged to have received the RM2 million from Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd managing director Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong with the cheque deposited into the bank account of Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd, in which Tengku Adnan had an interest when it was known that Aset Kayamas had connection with the ex-minister’s duties. The court has fixed Jan 10-17 and 20-21, 2020 as hearing dates for the defence on the RM2 million bribe charge.