KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — A company director facing a criminal breach of trust (CBT) charge was granted bail of RM50,000 with two local sureties by the High Court today.
Justice K. Muniandy granted the application after hearing a bail review submitted by counsel Daniel Annamalai, who represented Rajinder Singh, 57, an Indian national, following the Sessions Court’s earlier decision to deny bail.
"The Court allows the applicant to be released on bail of RM50,000 with two Malaysian sureties, with the additional condition that his passport be surrendered to the court," he ruled.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Izalina Abdullah informed the court that the prosecution had proposed bail of RM70,000 at the Sessions Court. However, it was ultimately subject to the discretion of the presiding judge.
"Should this court allow the applicant to be released on bail, we propose the same amount, RM70,000, with two Malaysian sureties and the additional condition that the applicant surrenders his passport to the court," she submitted.
Meanwhile, Daniel submitted that the Sessions Court had denied bail because his client is a foreign national. However, he informed the High Court that Rajinder has been residing in Malaysia for approximately eight years for employment purposes and holds valid travel documents.
"The proposed sum of RM70,000 is excessive for my client. We respectfully request that bail be set at RM40,000 should this honourable court be minded to grant bail," he said.
On May 5, Rajinder pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to a CBT charge involving RM141,486.12, belonging to Vantage Trading Partners, entrusted to him as an authorised signatory of the company.
He allegedly committed the offence at the company’s premises at Ilham Tower along Jalan Binjai on October 13, 2021, and November 26, 2021, and was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries an imprisonment of between two and 20 years, caning and a possible fine upon conviction.
The accused also claimed trial to an alternative charge of misusing the same funds without the consent or ratification of a general meeting, at the same location and on the same dates, under Section 218(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016, which provides a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of up to RM3 million, or both.
— Bernama
