KUALA LUMPUR: A 60-year-old company director claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to eight counts of cheating and money laundering amounting to RM5.1mil linked to the purchase of gloves.
R. Gopinatan Pillai pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him here on Monday (Feb 10).
On the first charge, Gopinatan is accused of cheating an individual by deceiving him into believing that some 150,000 boxes of COATS nitrile examination-type gloves under the brand name Hartalega were already prepared at Hartalega Sdn Bhd to be sold and handed over by Aspen Broadway Sdn Bhd, which belonged to the accused, to another company when the stock did not exist.
This action allegedly caused the victim to bank RM5.1mil through a law firm into the account of another law firm appointed by Aspen Broadway to represent the company.
The offence was allegedly committed at a condominium at Jalan Tun Ismail near here on Nov 9, 2020.
The offence under Section 420 of the Penal Code carries a maximum 10 years in jail or fine or both, if convicted.
Gopinatan is also accused of six counts of laundering RM5,005,000, believed to be proceeds from illegal activities, from Aspen Broadway's bank account through several other bank accounts belonging to other companies as well as his personal accounts.
He is also accused of one count of receiving money, said to be proceeds from illegal activities, amounting to RM5.1mil from the bank account of a law firm into his company's bank account.
The seven offences were allegedly committed at several banks around Sentul between Nov 10, 2020 and Feb 6, 2021.
The accused was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and faces a maximum of 15 years in jail and a fine of five times the amount of gratification if convicted.
DPP Chow Siang Kong offered bail at RM2.5mil in two sureties for all offences.
The prosecution also sought an additional condition to be imposed on the accused, namely for him to surrender his passport to the court pending disposal of the case.
Lawyer K. Komagan, who represented the accused, asked for a lower bail amount on grounds that his client was the sole breadwinner and had cooperated with the police during the investigation.
Sessions judge Hamidah Mohamed Deril fixed bail at RM280,000 in two sureties for all charges. She also ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court.
The case is fixed for mention on March 26.
