KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today granted bail to an Indian citizen facing criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges, setting bail at RM50,000 in two local sureties and ordered his passport to be impounded.
This came after Judge K. Muniandy granted 57-year-old Rajinder Singh’s application to revise a Sessions Court ruling which denied him bail after he was charged earlier this week.
Sessions Court judge Zulqarnain Hassan had denied Rajinder bail for the non-bailable offence under Section 409 of the Penal Code.
Rajinder, the director of Vantage Trading Partners, was accused of committing CBT on his company’s funds amounting to RM141,486.12, and using the money without consent or ratification of a general meeting at Ilham Tower, Jalan Binjai on Oct 13 and Nov 26, 2021.
During proceedings today, Rajinder’s lawyer, Daniel Annamalai said the Sessions Court had denied his client bail because he is a foreigner with the risk of absconding.
Rajinder, clad in plainclothes in the dock, said he had just arrived from the hospital where he was treated for his chronic diseases.
He told the judge that he had been operating his business in Malaysia for the past seven to eight years and possessed an employment pass.
In a rebuttal, deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah said at the earlier Sessions Court’s proceedings, the prosecution had offered a RM70,000 bail but it was refused by Zulqarnain.
“As we know, the court can use its discretion to allow bail. If this court allows it, we suggest the same sum in two sureties.
“Additionally, we ask for the applicant (accused) to surrender his passport to the court,” she said.
Daniel described the RM70,000 bail as steep and asked for RM40,000 instead.
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