Entrepreneur misses court date again

KOTA KINABALU: A prominent Sabah woman entrepreneur and philanthropist has failed to turn up for the third time at a magistrate’s court here where she is supposed to be charged for cheating and forgery.

The 50-year-old’s newly-appointed lawyer Sylvester Kuan told the court that his client had a scheduled full health examination the same day and produced a 15-day medical certificate.

When Judge Jessica Ombou Kakayun asked about the illness that would require the entrepreneur to take such a long sick leave from the Bukit Padang hospital - mainly known for mental treatment - Kuan said her exact condition would only be known after the check-up.

Pressed further, he said the initial diagnosis of his client was anxiety attack, stress and exhaustion.

Asked if the entrepreneur needed to be warded at the hospital throughout this period, Kuan said he was not sure but he thought that there was no need.

Kakayun later allowed for another date Oct 7 - for the entrepreneur to appear in court, adding that this would be the last adjournment allowed.

The entrepreneur is expected to face cheating and forgery charges over the alleged use of five fake receipts worth RM6.9mil as evidence in a 2015 civil case by a developer seeking unpaid payments from her over the purchase of a property.

The entrepreneur had earlier this year won the civil suit at the High Court filed by the developer, who is apparently appealing the decision.

She was first ordered to appear in court on Sept 3.

It is learned that the case had been investigated by the Sabah police commercial crimes division for the past three years.