Payment Of Refund For Cancelled Holiday Trips To Azlan Should Be To Perlis State Secretary's Office, Court Told

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- A director of a travel agency told the Sessions Court here today that the company issued three cheques totalling RM629,395.30 in the name of Datuk Seri Azlan Man after the former Perlis Menteri Besar requested a refund for cancelled bookings of overseas holiday trips.

Alimah Omar, 66, who is a director at Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours (W) Sdn Bhd, said the payment should have been made to the Perlis State Secretary's Office (SUK).

However, she did not question the matter although it involved a huge amount because the former director of the travel company, Shafiei Ismail, was the person who always handled  Azlan’s holiday travels.

"I have never dealt with Azlan and I only know him officially as the Menteri Besar of Perlis. Shafiei manages all claims from Azlan.

"I understand that the payment should be made to the Perlis State Secretary's Office (SUK) but I was informed that the claim for the refund was made by Azlan, so the check was issued in his name,” she said.

Alimah,  who is the sixth prosecution witness, said this when cross-examined by lawyer Ramli Shariff, who is representing Azlan, on the fifth day of the trial of the former Bintong  Assemblyman who is facing 10 charges of submitting false claims and receiving money from illegal activities.

Yesterday, Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours (W) Sdn Bhd account assistant,  Fazilah Jelani, 47, told the court that Azlan had booked family trips to London, the United Kingdom,  totalling RM687,785.40 through the Perlis state government in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

However, Fazilah said Azlan had all the bookings cancelled, with the refund totalling RM629,395.30 paid to Azlan through a cheque in his name, with the amount minus the cancellation fee.

Earlier, Alimah when reading her witness statement said that she and the general manager of the tourism company, Zulkamar Abu Bakar, signed three checks totalling RM629,395.30 in Azlan's name as payment for the cancellation of the holiday package in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The amount on the cheques was determined by Shafiei, she said, adding that the company was established in 1988 and Shafiei was a partner in the company.

Azlan, 65, is facing five charges of making false claims for overseas holiday trips worth over RM1.18 million allegedly committed at the Perlis State Secretary’s Office, Kompleks Dewan Undangan Negeri, Persiaran Wawasan, Kangar between December 2013 and December 2017 involving quotations of flight tickets to London, the United Kingdom and invoices of tour agency Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours (W) Sdn Bhd dan Aidil Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd.

He also pleaded not guilty to the five counts of receiving money from the illicit activities totalling RM1.06 million between Feb 19, 2014, and December 2017 at the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman Maybank branch, Putrajaya CIMB Bank branch and Sheraton Imperial Hotel here in the same period.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA