GEORGE TOWN – A defence counsel made a stunning claim before a sessions court judge here that his client was arrested by the police while undergoing treatment at the KPJ Damansara Hospital in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
While mitigating bail for his client, who was charged with 150 counts of money laundering worth over RM300 million in two separate sessions courts here, S. Raveentharan informed judge Mohammad Khalid Ab Karim that businessman Mohd Nasri Abdul Rahim was under medical care at the time of his arrest.
“It is a breach of Article 5 of the universal declaration of human rights. He is not a terrorist.”
Justice Mohammad Khalid then noted the submission by Raveetharan before setting bail at RM500,000 for the client, who is a managing director of an investment firm.
Later outside the court, Raveentharan said that his client had a medical leave certificate to verify that he was ill, and he should have been allowed to continue with his treatment.
“This is a gross violation of human rights. My client was (allegedly) forcibly removed from the hospital bed, handcuffed and brought over in a patrol car from Kuala Lumpur to Penang to attend this proceeding,” Raveentharan told The Vibes.
“Something is amiss with how the authorities are treating the accused,” he added.
The Vibes has reached out to deputy public prosecutor office’s to find out what transpired but they have yet to receive any response.
Nasri, 36, together with his company colleague Abdul Wahab S. Mohd Mydin, 53, Wahab’s wife Resool Bivi Yusof Gini, 50, and the couple’s daughter Nur Hafeezah Abdul Wahab, 26, claimed trial to 150 charges of laundering their clients’ deposits between May 2018 and December 2020.
Nasri, who wore a neck brace, acknowledged that he understood all of the charges levelled against him.
His fellow co-accused – Wahab, Resool and Hafeezah – also nodded when the charges were read before them by two court interpreters.
Nasri was alleged to have accepted, transferred and transacted cash from money laundering activities with transactions as low as RM50,000 to as high as RM15.86 million.
It was allegedly for personal use including for the purchase of traded shares in Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur.
Wahab was similarly charged with accepting, transferring and cashing out money, believed to be from similar activities, from as low as RM11,868 to as high as RM117 million for personal use, including for the purchase of properties.
Resool Bivi and her daughter Hafeezah are each alleged to have transferred RM98,674 and RM114,225, believed to be from money laundering, as deposits for the purchase of properties.
All the offences were allegedly committed in several banks between May 2018 and December 2020.
All the charges were listed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4(1) of the same Act.
If convicted, the accused can be penalised with a jail term not exceeding 15 years and a fine of at least five times the sum obtained from money laundering or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Harris Ong Mohd Jeffery Ong prosecuted, while Wahab, his wife and daughter were represented by Mashitah Jamaluddin alias Mohammad Shukri.
Harris applied bail for a total of RM500,000 bail for Nasri and RM110,000 bail for Wahab with one surety for all charges.
Resool Bivi was then allowed bail at RM10,000 with one surety and her daughter was allowed bail at RM25,000 with one surety.
Raveentharan earlier told the court that his client has no record of crimes or convictions.
“Bail is at the discretion of the court. It should not be excessive, and neither should it be a punishment by itself. The bail is to secure the attendance of the accused.”
The next hearing is slated for November 15 for mention and submission of documents – The Vibes, October 5, 2022.
