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KUALA LUMPUR - A former director of a software and information technology company was charged in separate Sessions Courts here today with criminal breach of trust involving RM5.5 million and money laundering amounting to RM403,000, which allegedly took place seven years ago.
Datuk Seri Liew Kok Leong, 53, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him before Judges Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad and Suzana Hussin.
Before Judge Muhammad Ilmami, Liew was charged in his capacity as a director of ARB Development Sdn Bhd with having been entrusted with RM5.5 million in company funds for the purpose of acquiring a 51 per cent equity stake (equivalent to 255,000 ordinary shares) in C&M Renewable Energy Technology Sdn Bhd.
He is alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust by transferring the funds into a law firm’s account, from which they were subsequently moved to a bank account belonging to Er Yan Shuen, 55, ostensibly for the purchase of three shop-office units at Tigerlane Square in Ipoh, Perak.
The offence was allegedly committed at a building on Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 here between May 6, 2019, and June 17, 2019, under Section 409 of the Penal Code which provides an imprisonment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of 20 years, along with whipping and a potential fine.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Julianaazrina Jaafar proposed bail of RM500,000 with one surety, along with additional conditions that the accused must report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Putrajaya once a month, surrender his passport to the court until the conclusion of the case, refrain from leaving the country without the court's permission, and not interfere with prosecution witnesses whether directly or through other parties.
"This is to ensure the accused's presence in court, and also takes into account that this charge (breach of trust) involves RM5.5 million," she said.
However, defence counsel Zander Lim Wai Keong, representing the accused, requested that the bail be reduced to RM50,000.
He argued that his client had cooperated with MACC and posed no flight risk, as he did not object to surrendering his passport to the court.
"A bail of RM500,000 is excessively high and beyond the means of the accused and his family. His wife is unemployed, and the bank accounts of both the accused and his wife have been frozen since 2025 in connection with the investigation," he said.
Muhammad Ilmami subsequently granted bail of RM200,000 with one surety, subject to the additional conditions requested by the prosecution, and set December 10 for the next case mention.
Meanwhile, before Judge Suzana, Liew was charged with engaging in a transaction involving proceeds from illegal activities specifically by instructing Er to transfer RM403,000 from his (Er's) bank account to the bank account of the company Permata Global Sdn Bhd.
The offence was allegedly committed at a bank branch in Taman Maluri here on June 15, 2019. Under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 [Act 613], a conviction carries a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the amount or proceeds of the unlawful activity, or RM5 million whichever is higher.
Julianaazrina requested that the court apply the existing bail of RM200,000, along with the additional conditions imposed in the previous case (involving criminal breach of trust).
"The prosecution applies for this case to be transferred to the Sessions Court handling the earlier case, as it involves the same witnesses; the defense counsel has no objection to this application," she said.
Suzana subsequently granted the prosecution's application to transfer the case to the aforementioned Sessions Court, ordering that the RM200,000 bail and the existing additional conditions remain in effect until the conclusion of the case. - BERNAMA
