Enhanced sentences for couple who stole from bank accounts of MH370 individuals

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has dismissed the appeals by a former bank officer and her husband against their convictions and sentences over the theft and withdrawal of money from the accounts of four individuals on the missing MH370 flight.

Instead, High Court Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Shariff Abu Samah enhanced the sentences of Nur Shila Kanan and her mechanic husband Basheer Ahmad Maula Sahul Hameed, both 35.

He sentenced Nur Shila to seven years in prison and a RM70,000 fine in default two years' jail and Basheer to six years imprisonment, two strokes of the rotan and a fine of RM8,000 in default eight months' jail.

The judge instructed the sentences to run concurrently with the date of the sentencing meted out by the Sessions Court, which was May 21 last year for Nur Shila and May 20 for Basheer.

"Your action made the public lose confidence and trust in the banking institution. I hope you will repent while serving your jail sentences," Mohamad Shariff said Monday.

Nur Shila had pleaded guilty to 12 charges of making illegal transfers, fraudulent debit cards and Internet banking applications to obtain RM77,530 from the bank accounts.

She was jailed for between 10 months and six years by Sessions judge Norsharidah Awang.

The money was reported missing from the accounts of Chinese nationals Ju Kun and Tian Jun Wei and Malaysians Hue Pui Peng and flight steward Tan Size Hiang.

The offences were committed at Nur Shila’s workplace at HSBC Bank in Lebuh Ampang here between May 14 and July 8, 2014.

Basheer was sentenced between two and four years’ jail and a whipping for each charge after he pleaded guilty to four counts of using a debit card and an ATM card to withdraw RM7,650 from Tian’s bank account.