KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — An investment company director, previously charged with criminal breach of trust, was brought before the Sessions Court here again today to face 10 charges of receiving RM13.4 million in proceeds from unlawful activities.
Datuk Norliza Tajudin, 54, pleaded not guilty after all 10 charges were read out individually before Judge Suzana Hussin.
She is accused of receiving the money through cheques and online transfers from a bank account belonging to Energy Eco Bhd.
The funds were allegedly transferred into her personal bank account and an account belonging to Aura Emas Trading Sdn Bhd, a company of which she is a director.
The offences were allegedly committed at three bank branches in Taman Setiawangsa, Wangsa Melawati and Bangsar here between February 1, 2021 and February 2, 2024.
All 10 charges were brought under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Act 613), punishable under Section 4(1) of the same Act.
The provision carries a maximum jail term of 15 years and a fine of at least five times the amount or value of the proceeds from the unlawful activities, or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abrar requested that the court apply the existing RM100,000 bail and additional conditions imposed in Norliza's previous criminal breach of trust case.
“The prosecution also applies for this case to be tried jointly with the previous case (criminal breach of trust) in this court,” she said.
Lawyer Datuk Gobinath Mohanna, representing Norliza, did not object to the prosecution's application.
Suzana subsequently granted the prosecution's applications to maintain the existing bail conditions and have the two cases tried jointly. She fixed October 29 for mention.
On May 11, Norliza and former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Syariah Advisory Council (SAC) chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud Bakar pleaded not guilty in the same court to seven charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM10.55 million.
In those proceedings, the court granted Norliza and Mohd Daud bail of RM100,000 each with one surety.
They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court, prohibited from interfering with prosecution witnesses and required to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office once a month.
