Kuala lumpur: An assistant manager of a luxury watch shop pleaded not guilty in three Sessions Courts here today to 44 charges of receiving and transferring money from illegal activities involving a loss of RM1.7 million. Miki Oshiro, 36, a local citizen, made the plea after all the charges against him were read out before Judges Izralizam Sanusi, Azrul Darus, and Norma Ismail.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the man is accused of having received RM1.7 million from a 61-year-old female customer and then transferring money from illegal activities totaling RM628,499 from his savings account to the bank accounts of several other individuals and companies. All the offences were allegedly committed at two banks in Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, between Oct 5, 2024, and Jan 3, 2025.
The charges fall under Paragraph 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 [Act 613], which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds of illegal activities or instrumentalities of the offence at the time the offence was committed or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if convicted.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Izham Mohd Marzuki offered bail of RM15,000 with one surety and additional conditions prohibiting the accused from interfering with prosecution witnesses and requiring him to report once a month to the Bukit Aman Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division (AMLA) near here, until the case is resolved. Mohd Izham emphasized that the accused has no risk of absconding because his passport has been retained by the court for previous offences, highlighting the impact of the crime on the country's economy and banking system.
Lawyer S. Narasimhan, representing the accused, requested a low bail on the grounds that his client was not at risk of absconding and was still supporting his elderly mother. The court allowed the accused bail of RM105,000 with one surety and an additional condition to report to the AMLA Criminal Investigation Division, Bukit Aman once a month until the case is resolved and set Feb 27 for mention of the case.
On Feb 21, 2025, Miki and another individual were charged in two Sessions Courts and the Magistrate's Court here on five counts of defrauding four individuals in the sale of luxury watches worth more than RM2 million.