Court Told RM8 Million Was Transferred From Fashionvalet To 30 Maple

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) — The Sessions Court here was told today that RM8 million was transferred from FashionValet Sdn Bhd’s bank account to 30 Maple Sdn Bhd through two online transactions in August 2018.

CIMB Bank’s Taman Tun Dr Ismail branch Customer Service Manager Azizan Hassan, 45, testified that a review of 30 Maple’s bank statements revealed online deposits of RM5 million and RM3 million from FashionValet’s bank account.

“On Aug 21, 2018, there was a deposit of RM5 million from FashionValet Sdn Bhd with the transaction description, ‘REMITTANCE CR/ROC/PB ECP PAYMENT FASHIONVALET SDN BHD PB ECP PAYMENT FASHION VALET SDN BHD ADVANCES TO 30 MAPLE’. I also confirm that the account balance before the deposit was RM2,678,853.48.

“On the same day, there was another deposit of RM3 million with a similar transaction description from FashionValet. I also confirm that the account balance before the RM3 million deposit was RM7,678,853.48,” she told the court.

Azizan was reading her witness statement on the opening day of the trial involving FashionValet founders Datin Vivy Yusof and her husband, Datuk Fadzarudin Shah Anuar, who are facing charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM8 million in investment funds from Khazanah Nasional Berhad (Khazanah) and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).

The prosecution’s first witness also told the court that 30 Maple’s bank statements showed a withdrawal of RM10,213,537.28 from the company’s account on Sept 3, 2018.

She further testified that the same account recorded an inflow of RM5 million on Sept 3, followed by a RM5 million withdrawal on Sept 4, 2018, bearing the transaction description “Interim Dividend FADZARUDIN SHAH”.

Azizan was giving evidence during examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutors Noor Syazwani Mohamad Sobry and Haresh Prakash Somiah.

She also confirmed that Vivy and Fadzarudin, both directors of 30 Maple, were the authorised signatories for the company’s bank account.

Earlier, counsel Datuk M. Athimulan, representing the couple, informed Judge Rosli Ahmad that he would only be able to cross-examine the witness on Friday as he was on medical leave until Wednesday. The court allowed the application.

Vivy, whose full name is Vivy Sofinas Yusof, 38, and Fadzarudin, 37, are jointly charged with committing criminal breach of trust, in their capacity as directors of FashionValet Sdn Bhd, by causing RM8 million in investment funds from Khazanah and PNB to be transferred from FashionValet’s bank account to 30 Maple without the approval of FashionValet’s board of directors.

The offence was allegedly committed on Aug 21, 2018, at Public Bank Berhad, Bukit Damansara branch.

They are charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34, which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years, whipping, and a possible fine upon conviction.

They also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of dishonest misappropriation of property belonging to FashionValet, namely Khazanah and PNB investment funds amounting to RM8 million, at the same location and date.

The charge,  under Section 403 of the Penal Code, carries a prison sentence of not less than six months and a maximum of five years with whipping and shall be fined, if convicted.

— BERNAMA