Kota Kinabalu: Ten people, including two bank managers, claimed trial at the High Court here Friday for being members of an organised crime group linked to fraudulent withdrawals of RM24.2 million from fixed deposit accounts.
They were charged separately before Judge Datuk Zaleha Rose Pandin with being members of an organised crime group led by Josepin J. Langkan between April 26 and July 10 at the MBSB branch here.
The 10 were contractor Josepin J. Langkan, 38; Subramaniam Thangavelu, 56, a teacher; Nasir Abdul Rasid, 60, a pensioner; Iren Chin Nyuk Thien, 38, and Christina @ Caroline Pianus Etip, 53, both bank branch managers; Sugumaran K. Ponniah, 56, a self-employed; Vireonis Jonok, 35, an unemployed; Leong Hin Ping, 62, a pensioner; Hasran Magin, 46, a fisherman; and Mazlani Jenuary, 53, an unemployed.
The charges stated that Josepin allegedly committed the crime between April 26 and June 17, Subramaniam (between May 9 and July 4), Nasir (between April 26 and July 1), Chin (between April 26 and June 13), Christina (between May 9 and June 17), Sugumaran (between May 17 and July 3), Vireonis (between June 5 and June 26), Leong (between April 26 and July 10), Hasran (between April 26 and June 1) and Mazlani (between April 26 and July 4).
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Their cases were transferred to the High Court from the Sessions Court earlier in the morning.
Zaleha fixed Nov 7 for further mention for the prosecution to tender documents to the defence parties.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yazid Mustaqim Roslan, who prosecuted alongside DPP Lina Hanini Ismail, did not offer bail to any of the accused as the charges against them are unbailable and are being tried under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).
DPP Yazid also informed the court that three of the accused, all women, had filed bail applications, respectively, which were scheduled to be heard by different High Courts on Sept 25 and 26.
Meanwhile, Zaleha granted the prosecution’s application for the cases to be tried jointly, with no objections from any of the accused’s counsel.
The 10 were ordered to be further remanded pending the mention date.
Josepin and Vireonis were represented by counsel Hairul V Othman and Luke Ressa Balang; Subramaniam by counsel Datuk Ram Singh; Sugumaran and Nasir by counsel Dominic Chew and Ariel Dasan; Chin by counsel Mohd Al Hafidz Mohd Lokman and Luqman Syazwan Zabidi; Christina by counsel Arthur, Mazlani by counsel Datuk Marzuki Spawi, Hasran by counsel Azhier Farhan, while Leong was not represented.
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