19 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
15-day trial set for Vivy Yusof, husband over RM8mil CBT charge
KUALA LUMPUR: FashionValet Sdn Bhd founders Datin Vivy Sofinas Yusof and her husband Datuk Fadzarudin Shah Anuar, are set to go on a 15-day trial next year on charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM8 million in investment funds from Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB).
Sessions Court judge Rosli Ahmad today granted to the mutually agreed dates set between deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and the couple's lawyer, M. Athimulan.
The trial dates are from April 13 to 17; May 18 to 22 and June 8 to 12.
Wan Shaharuddin said about 26 prosecution witnesses are set to testify.
Athimulan requested a later mention date to enable them to prepare for their defence and to get further instructions from the couple after going through forensic reports.
Both Vivy Yusof, 38, and Fadzarudin, 37, were not present in court as their attendance had been exempted.
Rosli set Oct 27 for mention.
In December last year, the couple claimed trial to a charge of having the common intention to commit CBT as directors of FashionValet Sdn Bhd, entrusted with investment funds from government-linked investment companies, Khazanah Nasional Berhad (Khazanah) and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), totalling RM8 million.
They are alleged to have fraudulently made an RM8 million payment from FashionValet's bank account to 30 Maple Sdn Bhd without approval from FashionValet's board of directors.
30 Maple, which runs the luxury headscarf brand, dUCK, is owned by the couple.
The alleged offence took place at the Public Bank Berhad branch in Bukit Damansara on Aug 21, 2018.
If convicted under Section 409 of the Penal Code read with Section 34, the couple faces a jail term or not less than two years and up to 20 years; with whipping and a fine.
In January this year, the couple claimed trial to an alternative charge of jointly and dishonestly misappropriating RM8 million of FashionValet's investment funds from Khazanah and PNB at the same bank and date.
The charge under Section 403 of the same code read with Section 34, carries a jail term of between six months and five years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.
