KUALA LUMPUR: A former company chief executive officer (CEO) and its former director were charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with criminal breach of trust (CBT), involving more than RM30 million, belonging to the company.
Datuk Sarchu Sawal, the former CEO of KPF Quality Foods Sdn Bhd, which is a subsidiary of Felda, and Datuk Tan Han Kook, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them separately before judge Rosbiahanin Arifin.
Sawal, 64, is charged with committing the offence, involving RM16,963,825 of the company’s fund through 27 Banker’s Acceptance, when he was the CEO of the company at Second Floor, Block B Anjung Felda, Jalan Maktab here between August 2011 and February 2012.
Tan, 59, then a member of the company’s board of directors, is charged with committing the same offence, involving RM13,164,955 of the company’s fund, through 20 Banker’s Acceptance at same place and time.
The charges, under Section 409 of the Penal Code, provides a maximum imprisonment for 20 years and whipping, as is liable to a fine, if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutor Azlin Sabtu, from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), offered bail at RM2 million with two sureties each and for both accused to surrender their passports to the court as the offence was a serious one and involved a huge sum of money.
However, lawyer Harvinderjit Singh, representing Sawal, in requesting for a lower bail, said his client, a retiree with two unmarried children and with no previous record, cooperated with MACC during the investigation.
Harvinderjit Singh, who also represented Tan, said Tan had been declared a bankrupt and was unemployed.
He also said that Tan had been charged with 134 counts of cheating which trial was ongoing.
Rosbiahanin allowed Sawal and Tan bail of RM2 million and RM1 million, respectively, with two sureties and also ordered them to surrender their passports to the court.
On Dec 7 last year, Tan pleaded not guilty to 134 counts of cheating a bank officer and the amount involved was more than RM60 million. — Bernama