Ex-international school employee claims trial to cheating, CBT involving over RM142,000
A. Komala, 33, who served as a parent liaison executive and personal assistant at the time, is accused of misappropriating the sum for personal use at the school located on Persiaran Stonor, Dang Wangi, from June 11 to 28, 2024.
She was charged under Section 408 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of between one and 14 years, whipping and a fine, upon conviction.
Komala also faces two counts of cheating two Japanese men by deceiving them into believing that the school fee invoices she issued for their children were legitimate.
The alleged deception prompted the victims to transfer RM94,509 and RM47,845.10 respectively into a bank account under a company owned by the accused's husband.
The offences were allegedly committed at the same place and during the same period. The cheating charges were framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Syafina Mohd Radzuan proposed bail at RM30,000 with one surety for all charges, while defence counsel Kelvinder Singh Sindhu appealed for a lower amount, citing that the accused is financially supporting her family.
Judge Azrul Darus allowed bail at RM30,000 with one surety and set July 15 for mention. – Bernama
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
PSM deputy chairman arrested over Parliament protest
KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chairman S. Arutchelvan was arrested at 6pm today at the Dang Wangi police headquarters over a protest outside Parliament last week. PSM secretary-general M. Sivaranjani said Arutchelvan surrendered himself after being ordered to report to the police. "This arrest is unlawful and constitutes an abuse of police power," she told FTM. The protest on Wednesday involved more than 100 plantation workers from Perak, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah and Johor, who marched from Taman Tugu to Parliament to submit a memorandum and draft bill seeking to make it compulsory for estates to provide housing for local plantation workers. It was reported that police initially blocked the group from assembling outside the Parliament gates but later allowed them to hand the documents to Deputy Law and Institutional Reform Minister M. Kulasegaran and Opposition Chief Whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan. A scuffle broke out at the gates, which Arutchelvan later said was a 'misunderstanding'. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus later said an investigation had been opened into a scuffle during the handover, which allegedly left a police officer injured. He said the case is being investigated under Section 353 of the Penal Code for using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out his duties, and Section 427 for mischief. Fadil had also referred to a video uploaded on TikTok showing participants of the gathering "provoking and forcefully breaching" police officers on duty at Jalan Parlimen. Police had summoned Arutchelvan the following day to record his statement. Arutchelvan was reported saying that he and several rally participants had a 'misunderstanding' outside the Parliament.
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Charges against Zara's alleged bullies could change with new evidence, says minister
Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the inquest is to establish the cause of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir's death and not to find fault. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Charges against the five teenage girls for allegedly verbally bullying Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir may be amended if new evidence emerges, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today. He said it was not unusual for charges to be amended during the course of proceedings. 'Of course, the charges can be amended. It's a normal part of the legal process. Sometimes the accused is initially charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code (for murder), which is later reduced to Section 304 (for culpable homicide not amounting to murder). 'That's how the process works,' he said when winding up the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat for his ministry. He was responding to a question from Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar) on whether the charges could be revised should new evidence surface during the inquest into Zara's death. Saifuddin said the inquest was intended to establish the cause of Zara's death and that it was not an exercise in finding fault. Earlier today, the five teenagers were charged in the children's court in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, with verbally abusing Zara, who died last month. They were charged with uttering abusive words against the victim which could have caused her distress. They are accused of committing the offence at Block A-3-6 of SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha in Limauan, Papar, between 10pm and 11pm on July 15. Zara was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school's hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu the following day. Her body was exhumed on Aug 9 to allow for a post-mortem amid allegations of bullying. The Attorney-General's Chambers yesterday defended its decision to charge the five teenagers, clarifying that the charges under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code related specifically to acts of bullying and were not connected to Zara's death. The AGC also dismissed a suggestion by lawyers representing Zara's family that further investigations or an inquest could later justify a more serious charge under Section 507D(2), saying this was 'speculative and not supported by accurate facts'. The lawyers had urged the AGC to postpone the charges against the five minors.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Teacher to be charged over false claim Zara was put in a washing machine
KUALA LUMPUR: A TikTok account holder is expected to be charged in court tomorrow for spreading false information about the death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir. The account holder, who is believed to be a teacher who operates the TikTok account 'SHA_Abrienda', is expected to be charged at the Sepang Sessions and magistrates' courts at 8.30am. The charge will be made under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, relating to statements causing public alarm or fear. Section 505(b) of the Penal Code states that anyone who makes, publishes, or circulates any statement, rumour, or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public, whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or public tranquillity, shall be punished with imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both. The charge relates to the dissemination of unverified claims that Zara's death was due to being placed inside a washing machine — an allegation made by the TikTok user in question. Zara Qairina, a Form One student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Sabah, was found unconscious near a drain at the school's hostel at 3am on July 16 and was pronounced dead the next day. Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar, during a press conference on Aug 13, said a 39-year-old woman had been arrested in Rawang, Selangor, for allegedly spreading fake news. She was later released on police bail after her statement was recorded.
