KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 – A businessman with the title ‘Datuk’ and his wife were charged with 55 counts of cheating in relation to investments in the purchase and reselling of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) tickets and blanket tenders involving RM11.9 million five years ago.
Ahmad Sabri Abdul Manaf, 65 and Felinnia Saruti Sadri, 36, both claimed trial to the charges in separate Sessions Court here. Ahmad Sabri was charged with 34 counts of deceiving 14 people of a total of RM6.7 million. He was alleged to have deceived the victims by promising they will get the return of their capital and gain profit from 10 to 25 percent if they invested in the purchase and resale of MAS flight tickets in conjunction with the F1 race season in Sepang.
He was also accused of deceiving them to invest in the contract to provide blankets for MAS by promising them that the same amount of profit will be gained. He allegedly committed the offences at CIMB bank and Maybank Berhad here, One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya and at Bangsar Shopping Centre here between April 2010 and April 27, 2011.
Ahmad Sabri was also charged with illegal deposit taking under Section 6(4) of the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (BAFIA) 1989. Deputy public prosecutor Nurshuhaida Zainal Azahar proposed for a high bail amount saying that the accused was hardly traced by the investigating officer for interrogation.
“The accused had changed his number five times since the investigation began in 2012,” she said. However, his counsel Afifuddin Ahmad Hafifi said Ahmad Sabri has been cooperating during investigation and told the court that his client did not try to get away when he was arrested by police yesterday.
“It is his rights to change his mobile phone number. It does not mean that my client intends to run away,” he said. Judge Mat Ghani Abdullah granted RM550,000 bail and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court. He also ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station each month. Meanwhile, Ahmad Sabri’s wife Fellinia, pleaded not guilty before judge Abdul Rashid Daud to 21 counts of deceiving 13 people of RM5.2 million and abetting her husband.
She allegedly committed the offences at the same place and time. The ‘Datin’ was also charged with abetting Ahmad Sabri in illegal deposit taking under BAFIA. Fellinia who was represented by counsel Datuk Mohd Shahrom Mohamad was allowed RM300,000 bail with a surety. She posted bail. The couple’s cases will be mentioned together on Feb 23.
