Man in Sri Aman fined RM15,000 for role in RM117,000 bank scam

KUCHING (March 13): A 31-year-old man was fined RM15,000 by the Magistrates Court in Sri Aman today after pleading guilty to indirectly engaging in an unlawful transaction.

Judge Intan Nurul Farena Zainal Abidin convicted Alistair Nigel Henry under Section 424C of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of three to ten years, a fine of between RM10,000 and RM150,000, or both, upon conviction.

Henry was found to have indirectly participated in the transaction at a bank at about 6.53pm on January 13, where his account was used as a mule account.

The case began on January 11, when a 54-year-old male complainant received a call from a fintech company informing him that someone intended to transfer RM13,700 into his account, which he denied authorising.

Several individuals claiming to be authorities then contacted the complainant, instructing him to provide his bank details, including debit cards, to “clear his name” from alleged involvement in illicit transactions.

The complainant complied and handed over his bank cards and details to a man at the Sri Aman Hospital parking area.

Several days later, he discovered that he had been deceived, with a total of about RM117,000 withdrawn from his accounts without his knowledge.

Police investigations later revealed that Alistair’s bank account, among others, had been used for unlawful transactions linked to the case.

Inspector Nur Farah Ain Hazeline Abdullah appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.