MALACCA: A former Malacca State Education Trust Fund (TAPEM) administrative assistant was charged in the sessions court here today with 146 counts of criminal breach of trust involving over RM2.4 million.
The accused, Mohd Hanafi Ismail, 31, pleaded not guilty after two court interpreters took almost an hour to read the charges out to him before judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.
Mohd Hanafi, who was entrusted with a certain amount of funds, was charged with misappropriating RM2.404 million which had been allocated as a scholarship for students in the state.
He was alleged to have committed the offences at TAPEM Finance Unit, Bangunan Kota Cemerlang, in Hang Tuah Jaya here, between Jan 23, 2017 and Dec 21, 2018.
The charges framed under Section 408 of the Penal Code provide for a maximum jail term of 14 years with whipping and a fine, upon conviction.
Judge Mohd Nasir allowed the accused bail of RM250,000 with one surety and additional terms that he handed his passport to the court and report to the Malacca MACC office each month until the case is disposed.
The prosecution was conducted by MACC prosecuting officers Irwan Shah and Nik Haslinie Hashim, while counsels Emirul Sarifudin, Ahmad Hafiz A. Bakar and Kenneth Kassa represented the accused.
The court set Oct 2 for mention. — Bernama
