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KUALA LUMPUR – A 56-year-old managing director of a travel agency in Kedah has been slapped with a 10-year prison sentence for each count of 23 cases of fraud involving umrah packages and tours to Egypt between 2015 and 2016.
According to Astro Awani, the sentencing was handed to Misbahalmunir Omar today after magistrate Arif Mohamad Shariff found that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt at the magistrate’s court in Sg Petani.
The court served the accused with ten years of imprisonment for each count, and allowed the sentencing to be carried out concurrently from the date of the conviction.
Arif had also spared Misbahalmunir from caning as he was aged above 50, and granted the defence team’s request for a stay on execution on the prison sentence, to allow for an appeal at the high court.
The magistrate had also set bail at RM88,000 with one surety, and ordered Misbahalmunir to surrender his passport to the court until the appeal process was completed.
According to the facts of the case, the accused, who is the former managing director of Raudah Mawaddah Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, had carried out arrangements for umrah pilgrimages and other tours with an individual in 2015.
The individual, Amzari Halim, who is also a complainant and facilitator of the travels, was asked to deposit money in an account provided by the Misbahalmunir for the purchase of return tickets.
However, the complainant did not receive any notice that the company had folded since January 14, 2015 under the order of the Alor Star High Court.
Furthermore, Misbahalmunir had also asked the victim to deposit money from travellers into the bank accounts of his wife, and staff of the company.
All 56 transactions involved also reportedly took place within the span of 23 days, from November 2, 2015 until January 28, 2016, and with a total of RM434,250 involving 202 participants.
Misbahalmunir is also said to have sent the travel itinerary to all participants for departure flights between January 29 and 30, 2016.
All offences reportedly took place in several locations around Kedah, Johor, and Selangor.
However, the travellers discovered that their flight tickets were invalid after arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for departure, leading to a police report being filed.
Misbahalmunir was initially charged at the magistrate's court in Sg Petani on June 26, 2018 for the fraudulent activity involving the 202 victims who deposited between RM2,000 and RM36,000 during the period between November 2, 2015 and January 28, 2016. – The Vibes, August 8, 2022