Kota Kinabalu: A 62-year-old Railway Department pensioner was freed from five charges of money laundering involving a sum of RM195,000.
Sessions Court Judge Abu Bakar Manat made the order after ruling that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against Ismail Ahmad, Friday.
Therefore, the court discharged and acquitted Ismail from the five charges against him.
On the first to fifth count, Ismail, who was at that time the Railway Department’s Civil Engineer Chief, was accused of having RM9,900, RM145,100, RM20,000, RM10,000 and RM10,000 which were allegedly collected from unlawful activities.
The money was found in Ismail’s bank accounts and his sons’ bank accounts.
The offences allegedly took place at Maybank in the city and Putatan, between Jan and July 2016.
The charges are framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Some 24 witnesses were called during the hearing at the prosecution stage and a defence witness testified.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Public Prosecutor Nartiah F.M Sambatan while counsel P.J Perira and Dominic Chew defended Ismail and his wives.
The court ordered the bail to be refunded to Ismail.
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