SEREMBAN: A 40-year-old “religious influencer” claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to 34 charges of committing criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving more than RM13.8mil belonging to a non-governmental organisation.
Abdullah Abdol Razak also pleaded not guilty before judge Kunasundary Marimuthu to another 17 money laundering charges involving RM1.55mil.
The accused, who is also an independent preacher, was chairman of Pertubuhan Rezeki Infaq Malaysia when the alleged offences were committed.
He was charged with committing the CBT offences at a bank in Seremban 2 between February 2023 and March 2026.
The offences under Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA) were allegedly committed between May 2024 and February 2026 at the same place.
For allegedly committing CBT, Abdullah was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of between two and 20 years, a fine and whipping upon conviction.
For the money laundering activities, the accused was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the AMLA.
Offenders can be jailed not more than 15 years and fined not less than five times the value of the illegal proceeds or RM5mil, whichever amount is higher.
The NGO secretary, Noor Sahira Abdullah, 30, was separately charged with abetting him for the alleged CBT offences.
She was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with Section 409 of the same legislation.
She claimed trial to all charges.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib then told the court the offences committed by Abdullah were non-bailable but if the court was to grant it, then the amount offered for all charges was RM1mil with two sureties.
He also asked the court to order the accused not to tamper with prosecution witnesses and to surrender his passport to the court.
However, lead counsel for the accused Azrul Zulkifli Stork pleaded for a lower bail as the accused's bank accounts have been frozen.
He said Abdullah, who was married, operated a restaurant and was an influencer, had to provide for his 11 children and mother.
"The accused had always cooperated with the MACC during the course of investigations.
"I hereby plead for a RM700,000 bail with half being in the form of unsecured bail," he said.
Judge Kunasundary then fixed bail at RM700,000 with RM300,000 being unsecured bail with two securities.
She also allowed the other applications by the prosecution.
Deputy public prosecutor Syairah Aqilah Khalil also proposed a bail of RM250,000 with two sureties for Noor Sahira.
Stork again asked for a lower bail as the accused earned RM3,000 a month and had to provide for her five-month old baby and parents.
Judge Kunasundary then fixed bail at RM200,000 with two sureties.
Both cases were fixed for next mention on Sept 28.
