Cooperative chairman gets eight years' jail for CBT

JOHOR BAHRU: A chairman of a farmers' cooperative in Pekan Nanas, Pontian was sentenced to eight years' jail and and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here today after he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM300,000 last month.

Alan Lim Boon Siong, 41, made the plea after the charges against him were read out before judge Aizatul Akmal Maharani.

The court ordered the two sentences to run separately.

On the first count, Alan who is the chairman of Koperasi Peladang Jaya Pekan Nanas, Pontian since 2015, was charged with committing CBT by transferring RM100,000 belonging to the cooperative into his personal account at a bank in Pekan Nanas on Sept 1.

On the second count, he was accused of transferring RM200,000 into the same account at the same location on Sept 7.

The charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code which provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years, with whipping and liable to fine upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Chai Ing Hien appeared for the prosecution while the accused was unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA