Datuk charged with abetting Genneva in deposit taking

KUALA LUMPUR: A consultant to gold investment company Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd was charged at the Sessions Court yesterday with two counts of abetting the company in illegal deposit taking involving RM5.5 billion.

Datuk Joseph Kow Hock Beng, 55, pleaded not guilty to abetting the company in accepting deposits in two bank accounts from the public without a licence through a gold transaction scheme.

He allegedly committed the offence at the company's office in Jalan Kuchai Maju 6, off Jalan Kuchai Lama here between Jan 10, 2011, and Oct 1 last year.

Bank Negara deputy public prosecutor Fahmi Abd Moin urged the court to deny bail as it was a non-bailable offence.

"However, if the court wants to use its discretion to grant bail, we propose that the bail be set at RM1 million."

Lawyer Datuk Ghazi Ishak told the court that his client's assets had been frozen and proposed that bail be set at RM50,000. "My client also suffers from heart problems."

Judge Mat Ghani Abdullah allowed bail of RM200,000 in one surety and ordered Kow to surrender his passport to the court.

He set Nov 27 for case management.

New Straits Times 

Probe reveals former member took RM180,000 from children’s home

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — THE RM180,000 said to be missing from the coffers of a home for abused and neglected children in Petaling Jaya has been traced to a former committee member.

Evangelical Lutheran Church Malaysia (ELCM) Bishop Dr Solomon Rajah, who is also Rumah Hope’s adviser, said the home’s management committee initiated an internal investigation and confronted the former member.

“I would like to clarify that the RM180,000 is not missing but has been traced to be the doing of a former Rumah Hope committee member. As spiritual adviser of Rumah Hope, I urged the management committee to seek restitution and rehabilitation for the person concerned instead of pushing for deterrent measures,” Solomon said in a statement.

“The internal probe has been completed and the erring party has accepted responsibility for any misappropriation of funds during his tenure. The former committee member has promised to return the money by the end of the year, with proper legal measures already in place.”

Rumah Hope houses 52 abused and neglected children and is a social institution under Evangelical Lutheran Church Malaysia

Its acting chairman, Jacob Mathew, said steps were being taken to reassure those who contribute to the home.

“We are meeting the donors to clarify the situation. We have also briefed the Welfare Department,” he said.

Mathew lodged a police report on Sept 12, claiming the former committee member had forged his signature on the cheques. This was admitted by the member in a statutory declaration signed on Sept 27.

The declaration also revealed the former member had taken RM220,000 from Rumah Hope’s accounts.

The Malay Mail reported the missing funds on Nov 6 after receiving documents and copies of cheques addressed to a Rumah Hope committee member.

Rumah Hope treasurer R. Krishamoorthy and former director Paul Manickam discovered discrepancies in the accounts between November 2011 and July this year, when 48 cheques for RM180,000 were issued.

They alerted the management committee and lodged police reports.

PEMILIK TASKA DIDAKWA ANIAYA KANAK-KANAK LELAKI

UALA LUMPUR, 12 Nov (Bernama) -- Pemilik Taska Permata Harapan hari ini

mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Majistret di sini hari ini terhadap

pertuduhan menganiaya seorang kanak-kanak lelaki, bulan lepas.

Rozita Awang, 35, didakwa menganiaya mangsa berumur setahun lapan bulan yang

berada di bawah jagaannya dengan cara yang mungkin akan menyebabkan kanak-kanak

itu mengalami kecederaan fizikal atau emosi.

Ibu kepada enam cahaya mata itu didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu di ruang

tamu taska di Taman Melati, Sentul di sini pada 11.35 pagi, 18 Okt lepas

mengikut Seksyen 31(1)(a) Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001 yang membawa hukuman penjara

sehingga 10 tahun atau denda maksimum RM20,000 atau kedua-duanya.

Suami wanita itu yang bekerja sebagai pemandu teksi hadir di mahkamah sambil

memangku anak bongsunya berumur setahun setengah di tempat duduk awam bersama

lima lagi anaknya yang berusia tiga hingga 10 tahun.

Terdahulu Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Siti Aishah Ahmad tidak menawarkan sebarang

jaminan terhadap tertuduh atas alasan kesalahan itu tidak boleh dijamin tetapi

terpulang kepada budi bicara mahkamah sama ada untuk memberikannya atau tidak.

-- LAGI

MAHKAMAH-TASKA 2 (AKHIR) KUALA LUMPUR

Peguam Muhammad Syazwan Mohd Salleh yang mewakili tertuduh memohon anak

guamnya dibenarkan diikat jamin kerana mempunyai enam anak yang masih kecil dan

berasal daripada keluarga sederhana.

Muhammad Syazwan berkata anak guamnya memberikan kerjasama yang baik kepada

polis sepanjang tempoh reman enam hari dan suami tertuduh yang merupakan

penjaminnya berjanji akan membawa isterinya hadir di mahkamah pada perbicaraan

kes itu.

Rozita kelihatan menangis di dalam kandang tertuduh semasa peguamnya

berhujah mengenai jaminan.

Majistret Siti Shakirah Mohtaruddin membenarkan tertuduh diikat jamin

RM5,000 dengan seorang penjamin dan menetapkan 10 Dis untuk sebutan.

"Selepas mendengar rayuan peguam dan memandangkan tertuduh mempunyai anak

yang masih kecil dan menyusu badan, mahkamah membenarkan tertuduh diikat jamin,"

katanya.

Suami tertuduh membayar jaminan itu.

-- BERNAMA

BHA RV KLS NH

11/12/2013 17-33ST

‘Miraculous’ escape for family after lorry crashes into car

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — It was an incident that policeman Ruslan Yunus hopes to quickly forget.

Ruslan, 35, and his family were travelling in their car along the Butterworth-Ipoh federal route when a two-tonne trailer suddenly went out of control and crashed, resulting in its container falling on his Proton Wira on Monday night.

However, Ruslan, his wife Azmila Awang, 34, and six-year-old son Iskandar escaped with only minor cuts and bruises in the 8.45pm incident.

“I thank God for saving us. It is a miracle that we survived the incident. It was really scary,” Ruslan said.

“There was a loud noise when the container fell on my car. The car roof pressed on our heads. Luckily my son was seated at the back and he was unhurt.”

Ruslan said he and his wife were shaken over the incident. They were, however, relieved and thankful to those who had rescued their son from the wreckage.

Fireman struggled for more than 20 minutes to remove the 40-foot empty container, weighing one tonne that landed on the car to rescue Ruslan and Azmila.

Members of public had earlier managed to pull Iskandar to safety by breaking the car’s right rear door window.

The trio were taken to the Sungai Bakap Hospital and warded. Iskandar was discharged on Monday night while Ruslan was discharged yesterday morning. Azmila remains warded.

South Seberang Prai district police chief Supt Shafien Mamat said the trailer skidded several metres after hitting a milestone. The driver of the trailer had earlier tried to avoid hitting a car that came into its lane from a junction on the left.

“The trailer fell on its right while the empty container fell onto Ruslan’s car that was behind the trailer,” Shafien said.

The trailer from Nibong Tebal was heading towards Sungai Bakap.

The 51-year-old trailer driver escaped unhurt. He lodged a report at the district police headquarters in Jawi immediately after the incident.

Police are investigating the case under Section 43 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Bakal pengantin hadapi empat tuduhan rompak dan cabul

Seorang lelaki yang bakal melangsungkan perkahwinan akhir bulan ini, mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen di sini terhadap empat pertuduhan termasuk merompak dan mencabul di dua pusat beli-belah di sini Oktober lepas.

Bagi pertuduhan pertama penjual kereta Mohd Firdaus Safie, 29, didakwa merompak dua keping kad kredit, sekeping lesen memandu dan wang tunai RM150 milik ejen insurans Teh Yee Yin, 30, di tempat letak kereta Suria Kuala Lumpur City Centre di Jalan Ampang pada 2.15 petang, 30 Oktober lepas.

Dia dituduh mengikut Seksyen 392 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara sehingga 10 tahun dan boleh dikenakan denda, jika sabit kesalahan.

Bagi pertuduhan kedua, dia didakwa cuba merompak menggunakan sebilah kerambit sehingga mencederakan seorang akauntan wanita berusia 28 tahun manakala bagi pertuduhan ketiga, dia didakwa mencabul mangsa di tempat letak kenderaan di pusat beli-belah Pavilion di sini pada 8.15 malam, pada tarikh sama.

Bagi pertuduhan merompak dia didakwa mengikut Seksyen 394 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara 20 tahun dan boleh dikenakan denda atau sebat, manakala pertuduhan mencabul, dia didakwa mengikut Seksyen 354 Kanun Keseksaan yang boleh dihukum penjara sehingga 10 tahun atau denda atau sebatan.

Pertuduhan keempat, dia didakwa menggunakan kerambit mengikut Seksyen 4 Akta Bahan-Bahan Kakisan dan Letupan Senjata Berbahaya 1985 yang boleh dipenjara sehingga tujuh tahun dan sebat, jika sabit kesalahan.

Pendakwaan dilakukan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Nor Aizam Aiza Zamran yang tidak menawarkan jaminan kerana kesalahan tertuduh serius.

Bagaimanapun, Hakim Azwarnida Affandi membenarkan Mohd Firdaus diikat jamin RM13,000 bagi kesemua pertuduhan dengan seorang penjamin selepas peguam Mohd Faizal Abdul Rahman mengemukakan permohonan.

Mahkamah turut memerintahkan tertuduh melaporkan diri di balai polis berdekatan pada minggu pertama setiap bulan sehingga kes selesai.

Kes itu disebut semula pada 6 Disember ini. - Bernama, 12 November, 2013.

oddler’s kidnapping sends shockwaves through Bangsar neighbourhood

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Reporters who descended on the usually quiet Bangsar home of a kidnapped British toddler identified only as Freddie were met with a wall of silence.

Sarah Joseph, the 20-month-old toddler's mother, was earlier seen standing in front of the house with a handful of friends and family members.

She retreated into the house when she saw the reporters approaching. A man then came out and told the reporters gathered outside to leave.

Photographers were warned that they would risk damage to their cameras as well as being sued should they try to photograph the house.

Freddie was taken at about 6.20pm while he was having dinner with his mother on the porch of their house.

A family friend, who refused to be named, said the closed circuit television (CCTV) recording taken from a neighbour's house showed the white car which is believed to have been driven by the alleged kidnappers circling the area several times before the incident.

“The recording showed the car passing by the house, driving back down and later parked behind another vehicle before the boy was taken,” he said.

“How could anyone do such a thing?”

When asked about the boy’s mother, the family friend said: “You can fill in the blanks”.

It is understood that she is a teacher at a private school.

As the reporters and photographers left, only family members and friends were seen walking in and around the house — in complete silence — as the incident has shocked the neighbourhood.

Several plainclothes policemen were also seen milling around the house.

The family friend pleaded: “Please help push this out as much as you can, please do whatever you can to get Freddie back.

“We just want Freddie back, that’s it.”

Social media has been buzzing about the incident. A twitpic of Freddie accompanied with a message has been widely shared.

It reads: URGENT: Please share! Freddy (20 months old) was kidnapped on Jalan Terasek 7 at approximately before 6pm. Suspects in a White Toyota Camry BKP 4386. If you have any info,