KUALA LUMPUR: The graft trial of former Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan will begin in March next year after he failed to strike out his two graft charges amounting to RM6.9mil involving the Jana Wibawa project.
This was following the Sessions Court's decision that dismissed his application to strike out the charges here on Friday (July 21).
Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob, in her brief decision, ordered for the trial to proceed.
"The defence's application (to strike out) is dismissed and we will proceed with our trial accordingly," she said.
The court then fixed an eight-day hearing next year.
The dates were: March 25-27, April 29-30, and May 20-22, 2024.
Rozina also fixed a final case management on Dec 1.
On May 29, Wan Saiful, who was the Tasek Gelugor MP, filed the striking out application under Section 173(g) of the Criminal Procedure Code on the grounds that they were defective.
Wan Saiful, 47, was charged with soliciting a bribe from one Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement for him to help a company, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, secure the "Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Expressway Interchange" project, worth RM232mil, from the Malaysian Government.
He was also charged with receiving RM6,962,694.54, which was transferred from a Maybank Islamic Bhd account owned by Nepturis Sdn Bhd into a CIMB Bank Bhd account owned by his company, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, as a reward for helping the company obtain a letter of acceptance for the project.
He is alleged to have committed both offences at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana here, in April 2022, and at CIMB Bank Bhd Bukit Tunku branch, Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku here between July 8, 2022, and Sept 30, 2022.
