Appeals court upholds jail sentence and fine on businessman

PUTRAJAYA: A Pakistani businessman has to serve nine years and six months in jail and pay RM4.05 million in fine after losing his final appeal to set aside his conviction for money-laundering and cheating involving over RM4 million.

Abdul Majid Rana Nawaz, 62, will also have to serve another four years and five months’ jail if he fails to pay the fine.

A Court of Appeal’s three-man panel chaired by Justice Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat dismissed Abdul Majid’s appeal, ruling that the Sessions Court and High Court did not err in their findings of facts and law in the case and evaluation of witnesses’ evidences.

She said his conviction for nine counts of money-laundering and seven counts of cheating was safe and the sentence imposed on him by the Sessions Court and upheld by the High Court was reasonable.

Justices Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam and Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi were the other two judges presiding on the panel.

On June 7, 2012, the Sessions Court penalised Abdul Majid, who was a telco company director, with a 30month jail sentence and RM3.7 million fine in default 28 months’ jail over his conviction for money laundering, involving over RM2.4 million.

He was also jailed seven years and fined RM350,000 in default 25 months’ jail when he was found guilty of seven counts of cheating seven contractors, involving RM1.7 million.

The Sessions Court had ordered him to serve his jail terms consecutively.

Abdul Majid lost his appeal at the High Court on Oct 23, last year, prompting him to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

For the charges of money-laundering, he was accused of receiving RM2,425,000 in ill- gotten gains via cheques at the Wisma Genting Maybank Berhad branch in Jalan Sultan Ismail here between August 2006 and July 2007, among others.

Abdul Majid was accused of duping seven contractors by making them believe that his company could help them secure a project to build the 3G MITV telecommunication tower from MITV Corporation Sdn Bhd.

The contractors then allegedly handed over cash and cheques involving RM1,750,000, to Abdul Majid at Block F, Phileo Damansara 1, No.9, Jalan 16/11, Petaling Jaya, between December 2006 and March 2007.

Lawyer Syed Mohd Fuad Syed Ahmad represented Abdul Majid while deputy public prosecutor Faizah Mohd Salleh appeared for the prosecution. — Bernama