RM24.2 million bank fraud: 3 jailed
Published on: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Published on: Sat, Jun 14, 2025
By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Left: Sugumaran and Hasran being led to the courthouse. Subramaniam (right). Kota Kinabalu: Three out of 10 individuals charged in connection with an organised criminal group linked to the RM24.2 million fraudulent bank withdrawals were jailed five years each by the High Court here Friday. Self-employed Sugumaran K. Ponniah, 56; Subramaniam Thangavelu, 57, a primary school teacher; and Hasran Magin, 47, a fisherman, pleaded guilty separately before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol to an alternative charge under Section 130W of the Penal Code for assisting the organised criminal group.
Advertisement Sugumaran, Subramaniam and Hasran committed the offence last year at MBSB Bank branches here between May 13 and July 3; May 9 and July 4; and April 26 and July 1, respectively. The alternative charge carries a jail term of up to 10 years on conviction. In delivering his ruling, Duncan held, among others, that the offence had serious implications for the public and customer confidence. He said such actions could lead to economic collapse and widespread distrust among customers. Duncan ordered the three to serve the sentence from their respective date of arrest. Earlier, presenting the facts of the case, the prosecution informed the court that a police report was lodged on June 27, 2024 by an Assistant Superintendent of Police from the Sabah Contingent Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) based on intelligence on an organised criminal group suspected of manufacturing fake identity cards and using them to commit large-scale financial fraud. Acting on the information, police arrested Sugumaran, Subramaniam and Hasran, respectively, at the roadside near Jalan Pahlawan, here, at 4pm on July 8, 2024 and handed them over to the Investigating Officer for further investigation. Investigations revealed that the three had assisted an organised criminal group in committing criminal breach of trust by a clerk or servant, using forged valuable securities, namely, fake identity cards, to help the group obtain financial gain. With the help of Sugumaran, Subramaniam and Hasran, the group fraudulently withdrew large sums of money from several fixed deposit accounts of the MBSB branches in Kota Kinabalu using fake identity cards, the court heard. Investigations also revealed that the organised criminal group assisted by the three was involved in the commissioning of serious offences under investigation under Section 408 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 120B of the Penal Code, as in Menggatal Report: A case which involved two unauthorised withdrawals from the fixed deposit account of Wang Su Sing at the MBSB Alamesra branch — RM2 million on April 26, 2024 and RM7 million on April 30, 2024. Tanjong Aru Report: A case related to the wrongful withdrawal of funds from the fixed deposit account of Ananthan a/l Sinivesan at MBSB Lintas Jaya. Two transactions were recorded — RM2 million on May 9, 2024 and RM4 million on May 10, 2024. Menggatal Report: At the same MBSB Lintas Jaya branch, two fraudulent withdrawals were made from the account of Edgar Ralph Fernandez — RM2 million on May 17, 2024 and RM3.7 million on May 21, 2024. Another Menggatal Report which involved one transaction at the MBSB Alamesra branch, where RM3.5 million was unlawfully withdrawn from the fixed deposit account of Karina Ang Li Li on June 5, 2024. Counsel Datuk Ram Singh, Dominic Chew and Azhier Farhan, representing Subramaniam, Sugumaran, and Hasran, respectively, requested for a lenient sentence of less than three years by submitting, among others, that it was their first offence, they were remorseful and that the conduct was non-violent. Azhier also submitted that all monies involved in the fraudulent transactions were fully reimbursed by MBSB, while Ram added that Subramaniam is an English teacher for 18 years and aware and sad of losing all the pensions benefit. Meanwhile, the prosecution urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, stressing the seriousness of the offence, the public interest, the need for deterrence and that the guilty plea should not be the primary consideration. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Nazran Mohd Sham also submitted that the accused's role cannot be viewed singularly and separately and that the case had originated from an investigation under Sosma, which, he stressed, reflected the seriousness of the offence. Nazran further submitted that the fact that the monies have been recovered did not reflect the full picture. The recovered monies were payments made by the bank's insurance. The actual sums taken have not been fully recovered, not even 50 per cent. As such, the losses affected not only the bank but also public trust in the financial system, he said, among others. Together with Nazran were DPPs Shafiq Hasim, Mohd Ashraf Adrin Kamarul and Yazid Mustaqim Roslan, while Ram was with counsel Prem Elmer Ganasan. Meanwhile, another accused, Nasir Abdul Rasid, had also earlier pleaded guilty to the alternative charge but later disputed the facts of the case. The remaining six accused - Josepin J. Langkan, Leong Hin Ping, Vireonis Jonok, Mazlani Jenuary and Iren Chin Nyuk Thien and Christina @ Caroline Pianus Etip (both bank managers) who were separately charged with being members of an organised crime group involved in serious offences for the material benefit of the group led by Josepin J. Langkan between April 26, 2024 and July 10 the same year at the MBSB Bank branches - together with Nasir would have their case mentioned on July 18. The charge under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code carries a jail term of between five years and 20 years on conviction. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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