Azlan Man Asked For Refunds To Manage Overseas Trips Himself, Court Hears

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court was informed today that former Perlis Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Azlan Man, requested two travel agents to refund payments for his overseas family holidays between 2013 and 2017, as he wished to manage the trips himself.

Azlan’s former senior private secretary, Herwardy Hashim, 45, testified that the former MB directed him to have Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours return the funds to his personal account, and Aidil Travel & Tour to deposit cash into the same account.

Herwardy explained that the agents needed to confirm the logistics and had asked him to secure the exact dates for the holidays and to collect supporting documents, including passports, from Azlan to proceed with booking the London flights, hotels and transport.

"However, the MB then instructed me to inform them that he would manage the London family holiday himself and to request that they refund the money. 

"I could not confirm if he had taken a particular trip or not; I only managed the approval of leave and use of his overseas leave entitlement," said the 18th prosecution witness as he read his statement in the trial of Azlan, who is facing ten charges of submitting false claims and receiving proceeds from unlawful activities.

The key prosecution witness informed the court that he was the officer responsible for managing travel documentation to enable the MB to utilise the privileges granted under relevant regulations, specifically Section 27 concerning overseas leave from the Members of the Administration and Members of the Legislative Assembly (Remuneration) Enactment 1980, Enactment No. 3 of 1981.

Herwardy said Azlan had suggested Sri Kedawang because he had joined tours organised by the company on several occasions while serving at Wisma Putra and had found their service to be very good.

"The owner of Aidil Travel & Tours is Abdul Rahim Halim, who was previously a partner of Shafiei Ismail in Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours. I understand they are no longer partners. 

"Abdul Rahim established Aidil Travel & Tours, while Shafiei is no longer involved in the tourism sector. Since I had dealt with Abdul Rahim previously, the overseas trip arrangements continued smoothly despite the change," he explained.

Azlan, 67, faces five charges related to submitting false claims for overseas holidays totalling over RM1.18 million. These offences are alleged to have been committed at the Office of the State Secretary of Perlis between December 2013 and December 2017.

The claims involved flight ticket quotations to London and invoices from Sri Kedawang Travel & Tour (W) Sdn Bhd and Aidil Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd.

He is charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of five times the sum or value of the false particulars, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction. 

Azlan also faces five further charges of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM1.06 million under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

These offences were allegedly committed between Feb 19, 2014, and December 2017 at a Maybank branch on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a CIMB Bank branch in Putrajaya, and the Sheraton Imperial Hotel.

He is further charged with five alternative counts of criminal breach of trust under Section 403 of the Penal Code for allegedly misappropriating RM1.06 million in Perlis state funds, which is punishable by six months to five years imprisonment, and may also involve caning and a fine, upon conviction.

These offences are alleged to have been committed at the Maybank branch on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the CIMB Bank Putrajaya Branch, and the Sheraton Imperial Hotel between February 2014 and December 2017.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi resumes on Jan 21, next year. 

-- BERNAMA