KOTA KINABALU: A pregnant woman claimed trial to receiving deposits amounting to RM5.087mil from the public without a license in Tawau district, Thursday (July 25).
Norhafiza Abbas, 30, pleaded not guilty after the court translator read out her three charges before Tawau Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad.
The businesswoman was charged under the Financial Services Act 2013 (Act 758) with illegally receiving public deposits for a gold investment scheme between May 2023 and August 2023.
In the first charge, she was accused of committing the offence at a commercial centre between May 30 and July 20 last year.
In her second charge, she was accused of committing the same offences through her bank account and the Abbas Family Enterprise bank account between May 21 and Jun 17, last year,
For the third charge, she was accused of receiving public deposit without a licence through a company savings account from May 23 to July 14, last year.
She could face a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to RM50mil or both upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Syahnidzam Ahmad prosecuted while Norhafiza was not represented.
During mitigation, she sought bail as she is seven months pregnant and has three other young children to care for.
The judge allowed her RM10,000 bail for each offence with two local sureties.
She was also ordered to surrender her passport, to report to the investigating officer once a month, to not disturb the prosecution witnesses and to be present for every mention and trial dates.
The court set Aug 22 for case mention.
