Duo charged with RM10.3 mln money laundering

SEREMBAN: Two men were charged in separate Sessions Court here yesterday with a total of 11 counts of money laundering involving more than RM10.3 million.

In the court before Judge Fathiyah Idris, Nor Hazaini Yahya, 44, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of money laundering, involving RM8,933,229.76.

He was charged with obtaining the money, which were proceeds from unlawful activities, at four locations here and in Nilai between Aug 8, 2014 and Jan 29, 2015.

Deputy public prosecutor Nor Ashikin Mokhtar, who prosecuted offered bail at RM800,000 on all charges and requested the case to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for it to be heard together with other cases involving the accused.

However, Nor Hazaini’s lawyers, Mohd Harris Abdullah and Mohd Faizi Che Abu, requested for a minimum bail as their client was supporting two children and a wife and his assets had all been frozen.

Fathiya then set bail at RM8,000 in one surety on all charges and ordered the case to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

In the Sessions Court before Judge G Ramesh, Mohamad Najib Kamis, 40, was charged with four counts of money laundering involving RM1,374,499.66.

The offences were allegedly committed at two locations here and in Nilai between Nov 4, 2014 and Jan 30, 2015.

Nor Ashikin, who also prosecuted in the case, requested bail at RM400,000 for all charge, but lawyer Datuk Hanif Hassan, representing Mohamad Najib, requested for a lower bail.

Ramesh then set bail at RM30,000 in one surety for all charges and also ordered Mohamad Najib to surrender his passport to the court.

The court set May 12 for mention.

The charges against the two men were made under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which provides an imprisonment for up to 15 years and shall also be liable to a fine of not less than five times the sum of the proceeds from unlawful activities, or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if convicted. - Bernama