KUALA LUMPUR: A company director, who is also a manager of a Japanese food restaurant, shed tears of joy when the sessions court acquitted and discharged her of two counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving over RM9,000 in 2017.
Lam Ee Von, 38, who was wearing a black blouse, looked dejected while waiting for the proceedings to commence but she was soon smiling when Judge Datuk Zainal Abidin Kamarudin ruled that the defence had succeeded in raising a reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.
Before reading the verdict, Zainal Abidin also gave a positive sign to Lam when he said, “ Don’t worry, good things happen to good people.”
In his judgment, Zainal Abidin said the evidence given by the prosecution witnesses clearly showed the transaction made by the accused (in transferring money from the company’s account into her personal account) was to facilitate payment arrangements to suppliers, saving time and a common practice in business management.
“In fact, it was also stated that the transfer of money was an advance for petty cash and retail needs. The accused is not a new person in the business world and has extensive experience, what the accused has done was not something unusual because in the business world time is gold,” Zainal Abidin said.
Lam previously claimed trial to two counts of CBT when she, as a director of food company Big E Harvest Sdn Bhd and entrusted with the company’s money, was alleged to have transferred RM6,070.90 and another RM3,000 from the company’s account at Hong Leong Bank into her personal accounts at Hong Leong Bank and Maybank, respectively.
She was alleged to have committed the offences on two occasions at the company’s office at Lot GF-08B & 08C, The Waterfront @ Desa Park City, No. 5, Persiaran Residen Desa Park City here, on Dec 28, 2016 and March 17, 2017.
Lam was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code that carries a maximum imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping and also be liable to a fine, upon conviction.
A total of seven prosecution witnesses and two witnesses from the defence, including Lam, have been called to testify at the trial from June 27, 2018.
Deputy public prosecutor Fatin Hanum Abdul Hadi prosecuted while Lam was represented by lawyer K. Ragunath. — Bernama
