Meat cartel scandal: Firm, store manager and accountant freed of money laundering charges

JOHOR BARU: A frozen food supply company, its store manager and accountant - all implicated in a meat cartel scandal - have been acquitted and discharged of 12 money laundering charges by the Sessions Court here.

LY Frozen Food Sdn Bhd, store manager Chong Kim Kuang, 50, and accountant Ng Yee Xin, 39, walked away from the charges amounting over RM12.9mil after Sessions judge Fatimah Zahari allowed so on Sunday (Feb 12).

They faced four charges each.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni told the court that the case was submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) where the representation for the three accused were accepted.

The court was told that AGC also instructed all charges against the three accused to be dropped after they paid a compound of RM1.5mil in total.

In December 2021, the three and another company director Tan Siew Huak, who is still at large, were charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001.

According to the charge sheets, the accused were charged with receiving money allegedly from money laundering activities on four occasions, amounting to RM13.2mil, from the company’s account between Oct 31, 2018, and Dec 31, 2020, at two different bank branches in Senai and Taman Molek here.

The company, Chong and Ng are represented by lawyer Zamri Idrus.

Fatimah then set Feb 22 for the status update from AGC on Tan’s case as he is still at large.

All the accused have ongoing charges of abetting and possessing goods prohibited from being imported.

The offences were allegedly committed at a premises at the Desa Idaman industrial area near Senai in Kulai on Dec 15, 2020.

Among the items said to be in their possession were 821 boxes of frozen beef parts, 264 boxes of frozen lamb parts, and 252 boxes of frozen chicken parts.