Oct 31 hearing of Youth and Sports Ministry undersecretary charged with money laundering
KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court here today fixed nine days, beginning Oct 31, to hear the case of a Youth and Sports Ministry officer and three others, including a married couple, charged with 191 counts of money laundering, involving RM16.623 million.
Judge Azura Alwi set the dates when the case came up before her for mention.
She also set Sept 8 for case management.
Last April 21, Othman Arshad, who is an undersecretary at the Finance Division of the Youth and Sports Ministry, Halmi Khalid, Abdul Gafar Abdurahiman and Siti Rohanah Hussein, who is Abdul Gafar's wife, had pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which were read out separately.
Halmi and Abdul Gafar are directors of sport equipment companies affiliated with the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Otman, 57, who has been suspended from work, faced 64 charges of receiving RM16.623 million, obtained through unlawful activities, which was deposited into his Maybank, RHB and CIMB accounts through cheques between March 7, 2012 and Dec 11, 2015.
Abdul Gafar, 42, and Siti Rohanah, 42, a housewife, were each charged with 63 counts of transferring RM15.723 million obtained through unlawful activities from the accounts of their three companies to a bank account owned by Otman during the same period.
The offence was allegedly committed at different locations, namely RHB Bank branch in Precinct 8, Putrajaya; Menara Maybank Jalan Tun Perak and Maybank branch Jalan Raja Laut.
They were charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 (Amlatfa) which carries a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment up to five years, or both, if convicted.
They were also charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities 2001 (Amlatfapuaa) which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years and fine of not less than five times the sum of the unlawful activity's proceeds, if convicted.
Meanwhile, Halmi, 35, was charged with transferring RM900,000 into Otman's account at RHB Bank Plaza Damas 3, Sri Hartamas here on Dec 10, 2015 under Section 4(1)(b) of Amlatfapuaa 2001. — Bernama