KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- An investment company director, previously charged with criminal breach of trust, was brought before the Sessions Court here again today to face 10 charges of receiving RM13.4 million in proceeds from unlawful activities.
Datuk Norliza Tajudin, 54, pleaded not guilty after all the charges were read out individually before Judge Suzana Hussin.
She is charged with receiving the money through cheques and online transfers from a bank account belonging to Energy Eco Bhd.
The funds were allegedly transferred to her personal bank account and an account belonging to Aura Emas Trading Sdn Bhd, a company of which she is a director.
The offences were allegedly committed at three bank branches in Taman Setiawangsa, Wangsa Melawati and Bangsar here between Feb 1, 2021 and Feb 2, 2024.
All the charges were brought under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Act 613), which is punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law.
The section provides a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds from the unlawful activities, or RM5 million, whichever is higher upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abrar requested that the court apply the existing RM100,000 bail and the additional conditions set in the accused's previous criminal breach of trust case.
"The prosecution also applies for this case to be tried jointly with the previous case (criminal breach of trust) in this court," she said.
Lawyer Datuk Gobinath Mohanna, representing Norliza, did not object to the prosecution's application.
Suzana Hussin subsequently granted the prosecution's application on bail and for the two cases to be tried jointly. She also set Oct 29 for mention.
On May 11, Norliza and the former Chairman of the Syariah Advisory Council (SAC) of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud Bakar, pleaded not guilty in the same court to seven charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM10.55 million.
In the proceedings, the court granted bail of RM100,000 in one surety each to Norliza and Mohd Daud. They are also ordered to surrender their passports to the court, prohibited from interfering with prosecution witnesses, and to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office once a month.
-- BERNAMA