08-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Indian national charged with CBT granted RM50,000 bail
The Kuala Lumpur sessions court previously denied bail to Rajinder Singh on the grounds that he is a foreign national. (Reuters pic)
PETALING JAYA : An Indian national company director facing a charge of criminal breach of trust (CBT) was granted bail of RM50,000 today with two local sureties by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Bernama reported that Justice K Muniandy granted the application after hearing a bail review submitted by lawyer Daniel Annamalai, who represented Rajinder Singh, 57, following the sessions court's earlier decision to deny bail.
'The court allows the applicant to be released on bail of RM50,000 with two Malaysian sureties, with the additional condition that his passport be surrendered to the court,' he ruled.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah informed the court that the prosecution had proposed bail of RM70,000 at the sessions court, but it was ultimately subject to the discretion of the presiding judge.
'Should this court allow the applicant to be released on bail, we propose the same amount of RM70,000 with two Malaysian sureties and the additional condition that the applicant surrender his passport to the court,' she said.
Daniel also submitted that the sessions court had denied bail on the grounds that his client is a foreign national.
However, he informed the High Court that Rajinder had been residing in Malaysia for eight years for employment purposes and holds valid travel documents.
'The proposed sum of RM70,000 is excessive for my client. We respectfully request that bail be set at RM40,000 should this honourable court be minded to grant bail,' he said.
On May 5, Rajinder pleaded not guilty in the sessions court to a CBT charge involving RM141,486 belonging to Vantage Trading Partners, entrusted to him as an authorised signatory of the company.
He allegedly committed the offence at the company's premises at Ilham Tower, Jalan Binjai, on Oct 13, 2021, and Nov 26, 2021.
Rajinder was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which provides two to 20 years' imprisonment, caning and a possible fine upon conviction.
The accused also claimed trial to an alternative charge of misusing the same funds without the consent or ratification of a general meeting, at the same location and on the same dates, under Section 218(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016, which provides a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to RM3 million, or both.
