Three accused of kidnapping Palestinian man charged with money laundering

KUALA LUMPUR - A married couple and a man who are facing a charge of kidnapping a Palestinian man, were today charged in the Sessions Court here with money laundering charges involving more than RM250,000.

Nidarahayu Zainal, 35, who is facing 17 charges, while her husband, Raibafie Amdan, 40, and the other man, Tengku Arif Bongsu Tengku Hamid, 40, both with one count each, pleaded not guilty before Judge Mohd Kafli Che Ali.

On the first to the fourth count, Nidarahayu was charged with disposing of RM20,650.86, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities, from her CIMB Bank account into another CIMB Bank account and a Maybank Islamic Berhad at the CIMB Bank Berhad, Taman Maluri Branch, Jalan Perkasa 1, Maluri here between Sept 15 to Oct 3, 2022.

She also faced 13 charges of transferring RM184,985.46, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities from a bank savings account belonging to her into bank accounts belonging to four companies and eight individuals at the same place between Sept 15 to Oct 2, 2022.

As for Raibafie and Tengku Arif Bongsu, they were charged with receiving proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to RM30,350 and RM25,000 respectively, from two bank accounts belonging to Nidarahayu and a company at the CIMB Bank Berhad branches at Jalan Bukit Bintang and Taman Mutiara, in Cheras, between Sept 29 and Oct 2, 2022.

The charges are framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which provides imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine of five times

The court allowed Nidarahayu bail of RM60,000 with one surety for all charges, while bail for Rabafie and Tengku Arif Bongsu was set at RM20,000 with one surety each.

They are also ordered to surrender their passports to the court and to report themselves at the nearest police station once a month.

The court set Nov 20 for mention.

Deputy public prosecutors Rozaliana Zakaria and Nurul Wahida Jalaluddin prosecuted, while lawyer Goh Kim Lian represented Tengku Arif Bongsu. The married couple was unrepresented.

The three accused were among 13 individuals charged in the Magistrate’s Court here last year with kidnapping a Palestinian man to solicit information on software to hack mobile phones. - BERNAMA