KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — The former customer relations manager of an international bank pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to 80 charges of breach of trust, misappropriation of property, forgery of documents and cheating in relation to gold bars belonging to customers worth over RM6 million from 2019 and 2021.
Mohd Saibulrijal Mohd Saad, 46, made the plea after all the charges against him were read before Judge Azrul Darus.
According to 46 charges of document forgery, he was charged with using two documents as genuine, namely a Gold Safe Keeping Service Withdrawal Form and a Letter Of Indemnity, when the documents were fake at a Bangsar bank branch from 9am to 4pm, between October 15, 2019, and January 13, 2021.
The charges were made under Section 471 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 465 of the same Code, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of two years or with a fine or both, if convicted.
For the 26 charges of fraud, the accused was charged with defrauding several bank officers by tricking them into believing that some customers wanted to withdraw and buy 117 gold bars using a Gold Safe Keeping Service Withdrawal Form allegedly signed by the customer.
All the acts were believed committed at the same bank between 2pm and 4.30pm from July 14, 2020, to August 27, 2021, according to Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and caning and can be fined, if convicted.
Saibulrijal also faces seven charges of misappropriation of property, namely 33 gold bars weighing between 0.05g and one kg belonging to four women at the same location between August 12 and August 24, 2021, under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of between six months to five years and whipping and can also be fined, if found guilty.
He also faces one charge of breach of trust by misappropriating two gold bars weighing 0.5kg each belonging to a 75-year-old Datin at the same bank at 1pm, April 12, 2021, according to Section 406 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years with whipping and may be fined, if convicted.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Rohaiza Zainal offered bail of RM300,000 with one surety for all charges with the additional condition that the accused’s passport must be submitted to the court and reported to the nearest police station once a month.
Saibulrijal, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lighter sentence on the grounds that he had another charge in a different Sessions Court and would be subject to legal action by the bank.
“My passport has so far been held, and I cannot go anywhere; please reduce the bail, and the court gives me space to discuss with the family to appoint a lawyer,” he said.
The court allowed the accused to be bailed at RM465,000 with one surety for all charges with the additional condition that the passport must be handed over to the court and fixed on April 26 for the mention of the case.
On September 27, 2021, Saibulrijal was charged in the Sessions Court on a charge of breach of trust involving RM411,442.17 belonging to an elderly person to buy seven gold bars without the man’s knowledge.
— Bernama
