EX-COMPANY DIRECTOR PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FOUR COUNTS OF MISAPPROPRIATION

BUTTERWORTH, July 15 (Bernama) -- A former company director pleaded not guilty today in the Sessions Court here to four counts of misappropriating company assets totalling RM96,780, 10 years.

Kamaruzzaman Kamaludeen, 51, made the plea before Judge Zulhazmi Abdullah.

According to the charges, Kamaruzzaman, who was formerly the director of Northern Petrochem Sdn Bhd, is accused of misappropriating funds amounting to RM5,600, RM920, RM8,800, and RM81,460 belonging to Natureceuticals Sdn Bhd.

The alleged offences took place at four different locations: the RHB Bank Bhd branch in Taman Inderawasih, Perai; the AmBank (M) Bhd branch in Seberang Jaya City Centre; the Malayan Banking Bhd branch at Rozhan Business Centre, Alma; and the Public Bank Bhd branch in Jalan Jelutong, between Dec 5, 2014, and May 27, 2015.

The charges are framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum imprisonment of  five years with whipping and shall also be liable to a fine upon conviction

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutors Rasyidah Murni Adzmi and Natrah Fareha Rahmat appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyers Luqman Mazlan and Irzan Iswatt.

The court allowed the accused a bail of RM4,000 for each charge with the additional conditions of having to report to the MACC office once a month and surrender his passport to the court until the disposal of the case.

The court also fixed Aug 26 for remention.

-- BERNAMA