IPOH, July 27 — A 63-year-old unemployed man pleaded not guilty at the Session Court here to 15 charges of money laundering conducted from illegal activities from January 2016 to May 2019. 

Accused Chan Wai Sun made the plea in front of Judge Mohd Fauzi Mohd Nasir after the charges were read. 

Chan was accused of using his own current bank accounts as a tool for offences related to the conduct of illegal activities. 

He was accused of committing all 15 offences at three different banks, namely the Ipoh Garden Maybank branch, Gunung Rapat Maybank branch and Bercham Public Bank branch, between January 4, 2016 and May 27, 2019. 

He was charged under Subsection 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (Amla) 2001 and read together with Subsection 87(1)(a) of the same Act (Act 613). 

If convicted, Chan faces a jail sentence of not more than 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount involved or RM5 million, whichever is higher. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syafinas Shabudin appeared for the prosecution while Chan was represented by lawyer Wan Muhd Ariff Ameer Wan Normazlan.

Earlier, Syafinas requested the court to set bail at RM100,000 for the charges. 

However, Wan Muhd Ariff asked the court to lower the bail at RM20,000 for all the charges by stating that the accused is unemployed and fully dependent on his wife, who is working as a supervisor at a petrol station. 

Judge Mohd Fauzi set bail at RM40,000 for all the charges with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport and report to the nearest police station once a month until the trial ends. 

The case has been fixed for mention on August 28.