Court day: Mohd Hazalif (left) and Aisyah Hijanah claimed trial to 10 charges at the Shah Alam Sessions Court here for alleged misappropriation of funds. — KK SHAM/The Star
SHAH ALAM: A husband-and-wife duo who are social media influencers have been jointly charged with 10 counts of misappropriating charity funds at the Sessions Court here.
Mohd Hazalif Mohd Hazani, 30, better known as Alif Teega on social media, and his wife Aisyah Hijanah Azhari, 26, were accused of misappropriating donations amounting to more than RM1.5mil from May 2021 to June this year.
According to the charge sheets, the funds were collected for various charitable projects, including flood relief, clothing aid and food assistance, not only in Malaysia, but also in Mecca and Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
They pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges brought before Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud yesterday.
The couple, who attracted attention as they entered the courtroom with Mohd Hazalif in blue and Aisyah Hijanah in a black Muslimah robe, were charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34.
If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, caning and a fine.
The couple allegedly misappropriated the funds at CIMB and Maybank branches in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, according to the charge sheets.
Deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh requested bail of RM50,000 for each accused and asked the court to order them to surrender their passports and report monthly to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office.
The couple’s lawyer, Mohd Shahrullah Khan, said Mohd Hazalif and Aisyah Hijanah agreed to the bail amount and pledged to attend all court hearings and fully cooperate with the court.
Judge Awang Kerisnada set bail at RM50,000 with one surety for each accused and ordered them to report to the Putrajaya MACC office at the beginning of each month.
The judge has set Nov 27 for the next mention of the case.
