SHAH ALAM, March 11 — Four businessman, including one with the "Datuk” title, were charged in the Sessions Court here today with a total of 21 counts of money laundering involving millions of ringgit in connection with the issuance of Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS)

Datuk Ab Aziz Abdullah, 44; Muhammad Semail, 43; Mohd Hariza Mohd Yusof, 34, and Abu Yazid Mohd, 38, all pleaded not guilty to the charges read out before judge Rozilah Salleh.

Ab Aziz was charged with nine counts of money laundering, totalling RM2,683,960, including owning four  branded watches, condominiums and apartments at Taman Ukay Perdana and Subang Perdana near here, which are proceeds from unlawful activities, between September 21, 2015 and April 6, 2021.

Muhammad was charged with using RM854,513.90 in the form of cash and cheques, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, as payment for purchase of two luxury vehicles at two car dealers in Sungai Buloh and Kajang, near here on November 5,  2018 and January 22, 2019.

As for Mohd Hariza, he was charged with six counts of owning cash, house, watch and a luxury car, totalling RM1,023,900, as well as foreign currencies of Riyal Saudi 1,590 in Saudi Riyal;  18,400 in Thai Baht; 1,650 Yuan (China) and US$2,045, which are believed proceeds from unlawful activities, at Taman Ukay Bistari and Taman Ukay Perdana, Ampang, between February 3, 2016 and April 6, 2021.

Meanwhile, Abu Yazid was charged with four counts of owning cash of RM44,400; 7,900 in Saudi Riyal and two apartments, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, at Taman Ukay Perdana between December 26, 2017 and April 6,  2021.

All the charges were framed under Section  4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which provides an imprisonment for up to 15 years, a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of proceeds of illegal activities or equipment of offence at the time the offence was committed or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction. 

Rozilah allowed all the accused to apply bail imposed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday, where the four accused were charged with similar offences.

She also allowed all of today’s cases to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court besides also allowing the case to be transferred to the court.

Deputy public prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Nik Hasline Hashim prosecuted, while all the four accused were represented by lawyer Md Yunos Sharif.

Yesterday, all the four accused, as well as Abd Aziz’s sister, Anita Abdullah, 47, pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to 81 counts of money laundering involving millions of ringgit in connection with a syndicate issuing the Temporary Visitor Work Pass (PLKS). — Bernama