Kuala Lumpur: A man was sentenced to one year imprisonment by the Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to transferring and concealing RM487,790 belonging to two women in connection with a fraudulent investment scheme advertised on Facebook last year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Judge Azrul Darus sentenced Marchell Jeff Lee Sin Ket, 39, to one year in prison for assisting in concealing RM314,790 belonging to Ong Boon Ian, 59, an investment company owner. The funds were concealed in his bank account at a condominium unit in Bandar Menjalara, Sentul, between November 18 and December 12 of the previous year.

In a separate case before Judge Hamidah Mohamed Deril, Lee received an eight-month imprisonment sentence for concealing RM173,000 belonging to Chin Lit Teng, 49, a health products company account executive. This amount was concealed in his bank account at a condominium unit off Jalan Kuching, Taman Sri Kuching, Sentul, between November 7 and December 9 last year.

Lee was charged under Section 424 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction. Both sentences are set to run concurrently starting from today.

According to the statement of facts, the victim had encountered a stock investment advertisement on Facebook and registered for the purported investment scheme. The victim then transferred funds in stages into a bank account under the name Marchell Jeff Interior Design Haus Sdn Bhd. The fraudulent nature of the scheme was revealed when the promised returns did not materialize.

Deputy public prosecutors M Saravanan and Raihanah Abd Razak represented the prosecution, while Lee was unrepresented.