TEMERLOH, July 17 — A boutique owner pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here today, to 18 counts of cheating and forging umrah package documents involving RM19,800 last year.

Noraini Abu Bakar, 33, from Setia Alam, Selangor is accused of nine counts of misleading nine people prompting the victims to pay RM2,200 each to her, purportedly for umrah packages.

The charge, under Section 420 of the Penal Code, provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and whipping, and a fine, upon conviction.

Noraini is also accused of nine counts of forging an official letter of a travel agency with intention to deceive the umrah participants.

The charge under Section 468 of the Penal Code carries a maximum jail term of seven years and also a fine, upon conviction.

The offences were committed between November 15 to 28, 2018 at a number of locations in Temerloh which included banks and victims’ houses.

Deputy public prosecutor Low Chin How proposed RM90,000 as bail with one surety for all the charges.

However, magistrate Ti Pei Si set the amount at RM13,000 with one surety after considering the accused’s appeal that she did not have sufficient funds.

August 14 was fixed for mention by the court.

The accused posted bail. — Bernama