GEORGE TOWN: Four people, including a family of three, were charged with a total 150 counts of money laundering involving more than RM300 million at two separate Sessions Courts here today.
Investment company managing director Mohd Nasri Abdul Rahim, 36; chief executive officer Abdul Wahab S. Mohd Mydin, 53; Wahab's wife, Resool Bivi Yusof Gini, 50; and their daughter, Nur Hafeezah Abdul Wahab, 26, claimed trial to all the charges against them.
Nasri nodded to indicate that he understood after 118 charges of money laundering were read to him by two court interpreters before judges Mohammad Khalid Ab Karim and Mazdi Abdul Hamid.
Wahab nodded to indicate that he understood all 30 charges of money laundering against him.
Resool Bivi and Nur Hafeezah each faced one charge together with Wahab.
Nasri is alleged to have accepted, transferred and used money, believed to be from illegal activities, from as low as RM50,000 and as high as RM15.86 million for personal use, including for the purchase of shares.
Wahab is also alleged to have accepted, transferred and used money, believed to be from illegal activities, from as low as RM11,868 and as high as RM117 million for personal use, including for the purchase of property.
Resool Bivi and Nur Hafeezah are each alleged to have transferred RM98,674 and RM114,225, believed to be from illegal activities, as deposits for the purchase of property.
All the offences were allegedly committed in various banks in Peninsula Malaysia between May 2018 and December 2020.
All the charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4(1) of the same Act.
The offences carry a jail term of not exceeding 15 years and a fine of at least five times the sum obtained from money laundering or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Harris Ong Mohd Jeffery Ong prosecuted, while Nasri was represented by S. Raveentharan and Wahab, his wife and daughther were represented by Mashitah Jamaluddin @ Mohammad Shukri.
Harris Ong applied for a total of RM500,000 bail for Nasri and RM110,000 bail for Wahab with one surety for all charges.
Resool Bivi was also allowed bail at RM10,000 with one surety and her daughter, who works as a factory operator, was allowed bail at RM25,000 with one surety.
In mitigation, Raveentharan told the court that his client had no record of crimes or convictions.
"Bail is at the discretion of the court. It should not be too excessive and neither should it be a punishment by itself.
"The bail is to secure the attendance of the accused.
"As for bail, I urge the court to set an en bloc amount of RM100,000," he told the court.
Both courts then fixed Nov 15 for mention pending submission of documents.