2 EX-OIL FIRM OFFICIALS CHARGED AGAIN

Both claim trial to receiving proceeds from unlawful activities

AFORMER oil and gas company director and a former Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd technical assistant, both of whom had been charged with making false claims, were again charged at the Sessions Court.

This time they were charged with receiving more than RM1.7 million in proceeds from unlawful activities.

Yong Mee Lan, 54, and Ahmad Asyraaf Kamarul Zaman, 29, were charged separately before judge Rozina Ayob, and both claimed trial.

Yong was charged with receiving RM226,000, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, through five Public Bank Bhd cheques from Syarikat AceTimur Drilling Sdn Bhd that were deposited into her Public Bank account at the bank’s Taman Connaught branch on March 26 and July 27, 2015.

Asyraaf was charged with four counts of receiving RM1,502,919.02, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, at Maybank Bhd in Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) and CIMB Bank Bhd at Petronas Tower 3, Suria KLCC, between Feb 12 and April 21, 2016.

Rozina allowed Asyraaf, represented by counsel Mohd Haziq Dhiyauddin Razali, to maintain his bail using the two land titles he posted and pay an additional RM50,000, while Yong, represented by lawyer Mohd Fozi Md Zin, was allowed bail of RM100,000 with one surety.

Later, Yong and Jamsari Abdul Rahim, 41, were charged before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi with being involved in moneylaundering involving RM13 million, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, through a cheque belonging to Syarikat AceTimur Drilling banked in at a Public Bank branch on July 10, 2015. They claimed trial to the charge.

At the same court, Jamsari pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of receiving and transferring RM12,122,216.60, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, in the form of six cheques, at a TTDI Maybank branch between May 25, 2015 and Nov 16, 2016.

Jamsari, represented by lawyer Rodzim Zaimy, was allowed bail of RM270,000 in one surety.

In another Sessions Court, Yong’s husband, Ng Soon Ling, 54, claimed trial to two counts of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities, involving RM3,852,712.20 and RM2,377,400.20, into his CIMB and Standard Chartered bank accounts.

The offences were allegedly committed at a CIMB branch in Jalan Mutiara Timur Satu, Cheras, on Feb 4, 2016, and a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Jalan Prima Saujana, Kajang, on Feb 5, 2016.

Ng was allowed bail of RM400,000 in one surety.

All the charges were made under sections 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2002.

The accused face up to 15-years’ jail and a fine of not less than five times the value of the proceeds of unlawful activities, or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if found guilty. All the cases will be mentioned on Aug 20, to be jointly heard before Rozina.

Yong and Asyraaf had, on March 12, been charged with making fraudulent claims of RM20 million for exploration work.