Bank officer, 2 others in Kuching slapped with fresh charges involving non-existent investment scheme

KUCHING (Jan 28): A bank officer previously charged with 11 counts of cheating in connection with a non-existent bank investment product was charged again at the Sessions Court here with three more similar charges.

The 31-year-old woman pleaded not guilty before Judge Jason Juga to the three charges, framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Code.

The Section provides for imprisonment of between one and 10 years and caning, as well as a possible fine, upon conviction.

Charged together with the bank officer were a 54-year-old woman and 27-year-old man, who also claimed trial.

For the first and second charges, the three accused are alleged to have deceived two individuals by inducing them with a non-existent bank investment product involving sums of RM200,000 and RM30,000 on Aug 22, 2025 and Dec 2, 2024, respectively, at a bank along Jalan Tun Jugah here.

For the third charge, the bank officer together with the 54-year-old woman were charged with committing the same offence at the same premises on July 1, 2025 involving a sum of RM100,000.

The judge granted each accused non-deposited bail of RM50,000 with one local surety for each charge faced.

All three were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court and to report to the nearest police station once a month.

Case management was set for March 2, 2026.

Deputy public prosecutor Ruvinasini Pandian appeared for the prosecution, while the bank officer was represented by counsel Datuk Shankar Ram Asnani.

Representing the other two accused were counsels Tiong Ing Neng and Patrick Voon.