Ex-office bearers of Sarawak co-op claim trial to CBT charges involving RM3.4mil

Two of the three accused being led out of the courtroom after pleading not guilty to criminal breach of trust charges. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star

KUCHING: Three former office bearers of a Sarawak cooperative have pleaded not guilty in two Sessions Courts here to six charges of criminal breach of trust involving a total of RM3.4mil in Federal funds.

Former Koperasi Automobil Kuching Sarawak Bhd (Kokas) director Mohammad Ariffin Han, 47,54-year-old secretary Mohammad Ali Han @ Dalahan and 39-year-old treasurer Nur Najiha Abdullah claimed trial after they were charged with misusing funds meant for the automotive workshop modernisation (Atom) and retail shop transformation (Tukar) programmes between August 2012 and May 2017.

Ali was charged with committing criminal breach of trust involving RM67,552.20 of the funds between May 2 and June 17,2015.

He was also accused together with Nur Najiha of two counts of CBT involving RM880,000 between May 20 and July 7,2015, and RM82,000 between Feb 15 and May 18,2017.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges read before Sessions Court judge Maritin Pagan.

Maritin allowed court bail of RM20,000 with two local sureties for each of the accused.

In a separate court, Ariffin and Ali pleaded not guilty before judge Dayang Ellyn Narisa Abang Ahmad to one count of CBT involving RM1,659,024.77 between Aug 1,2012 and Feb 20,2013.

Together with Nur Najiha, they also pleaded not guilty to two counts of CBT involving RM700,000 between March 18 and 19,2013, and RM13,800 on Aug 25,2015.

Dayang Ellyn allowed court bail of RM30,000 with two local sureties each and ordered the court to impound the passports of Ariffin and Ali.

However, Nur Najiha was not ordered to surrender her passport as she was a government servant and not considered a flight risk.

The offences were allegedly committed at the Public Bank in Stutong here.

All the charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of two to 20 years, whipping and a possible fine.

DPP Danial Ilham Kamaruddin prosecuted while the three accused were represented by Osman Ibrahim, Fadzillah Osman and Daren Ling.