KUALA LUMPUR: A unit trust agent with a 'Datuk' title was charged with five counts of deceiving the National Visual Arts Development Board (LPSVN) into making a RM100 million investment and falsifying the board's document seven years ago.
Ahmad Azwan Aboo Mansor, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him before Sessions Court judge Hamidah Mohamed Deri today.
The 54-year-old man is accused of deceiving LPSVN by fraudulently persuading the agency to enter into an investment agreement for the CIMB Islamic Dali Equity Theme Fund through false representation and dishonestly inducing the board to issue a check worth RM100 million.
The offence was committed at the LPSVN office, Jalan Temerloh, Off Jalan Tun Razak, Wangsa Maju, here, on June 10, 2014.
He was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which provides an imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than 10 years, caning, and a fine if convicted.
Azwan is accused of fraudulently using as genuine a document titled "CIMB Islamic Dali Equity Theme Fund Status" dated June 9, 2017, July 28, 2017, May 21, 2018, and a Zakat payment confirmation document dated Dec 8, 2017, which the accused knew to be false.
All these offences were committed at the same location on June 9, 2017, July 28, 2017, Dec 8, 2017, and May 22, 2018.
He was charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 465 of the same code, which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison or a fine or both.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Norfauzani Mohd Nordin requested bail of RM100,000 for all five charges.
However, lawyer Harjinder Singh Sandhu, representing the accused pleaded for minimum bail as he had already been declared bankrupt, lost his source of income, and was struggling with life circumstances.
"My client suffers from high blood pressure, and his wife is battling cancer. The accused is needed at home to help his wife in this critical situation.
"My client's property, a semi-detached house, is in the process of being auctioned off.
"The amount requested by the prosecution is too high, and he may be imprisoned while waiting for this case's trial. We request that only RM12,000 in bail be imposed," he said.
The court set RM50,000 bail for all charges and fixed Oct 21 for mention.