‘Datuk' among 5 charged with unlicensed deposit taking, money laundering
PETALING JAYA : A woman with a 'Datuk' title was among five people charged today in the Shah Alam sessions court with accepting deposits from the public without a valid licence and laundering millions of ringgit between 2021 and 2024.
Suhaila Semaru, 41, her sister Suraya, 37, Noor Syauqi Shafiee, 30, Wahbah Az-Zuhaili Ariffin, 33, and his younger brother Syaabil Ajwad, 26, all claimed trial after the charges were read to them before judge Anas Mahadzir.
They were charged separately with money laundering using a company named XFOX Market Sdn Bhd, Berita Harian reported.
Suhaila, a director of the company, faces 22 charges in total – five for receiving, 12 for acquiring, and five for possessing proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM13 million.
The funds were said to have been deposited into the company's bank account and her personal account.
Suraya, who is the company's CEO, was slapped with 10 charges involving acquiring, possessing, and transferring illegal proceeds amounting to approximately RM11.1 million.
Syauqi was charged with acquiring and possessing a total of RM2.5 million in illegal proceeds. Wahbah Az-Zuhaili faces seven charges for receiving, acquiring, and using RM10.3 million in illegal funds.
Syaabil Ajwad was charged with seven counts of receiving and one count of disposing of a total of RM58 million in illegal funds.
The alleged offences took place between November 2021 and July 2024 at multiple bank branches in Shah Alam, Ara Damansara, Kota Damansara, Klang, as well as at a residence and office in Section U5, Shah Alam.
The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Suhaila, Suraya, and Syauqi also pleaded not guilty to charges of accepting deposits from the public without a valid licence under Section 137(1) of the Financial Services Act, read together with Section 249(1)(a) of the same Act.
The offence was said to have been committed at XFOX's office in Subang Bestari between November 2021 and July 30, 2024.
The judge set bail at RM100,000 with one surety for each of the accused and ordered their passports to be surrendered until the conclusion of the case.
Deputy public prosecutors Nurdeenie Abd Rashid and Megat Mahathir Megat Tharih Afendi conducted the prosecution while the accused were represented by Haziq Dhiyaudin Razali.
The court set Aug 6 for mention of the case.
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