IPOH: A former senior manager of a multinational company has been charged at the Magistrate’s Court here with two counts for dishonestly receiving stolen funds of RM2.1mil belonging to an Indonesian company three years ago.
V.N. Vemal, 36, pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were read before Magistrate S. Punitha on Thursday (March 19).
For the first charge, Vemal is alleged to have dishonestly received stolen funds by accepting RM735,294.11 into his bank account on July 26, 2023, at a bank branch on Jalan Sultan Idris Shah here.
The second charge involves RM1,447,521.87, also allegedly deposited into his bank account under similar circumstances on Aug 15, 2023.
Both charges were framed under Section 411 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor S. Nishaalini requested a higher bail at RM15,000 for the charges with two sureties, along with an additional condition for the accused to report regularly to a police station.
However, lawyer Aashwini Rajan appealed for lower bail at RM5,000, citing that her client is currently unemployed.
The court set bail at RM8,000 for both charges with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court as an additional condition.
The case has been fixed for mention on May 8.
On Jan 23, Vemal was charged with two separate offences involving dishonestly receiving and disposing a sum of about RM1.4mil.
In the first charge, Vemal is alleged to have dishonestly receive stolen property by accepting the amount into his bank account.
The offence allegedly took place at a bank in Jalan Sultan Idris Shah here on Sept 29, 2023.
In the second charge, the accused is said to have disposed the money by moving it from his bank account to a different bank account on the same day at the same location.
Both charges carry a punishment of up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine or both.
