Ex-MARii boss charged with misappropriation of RM1.63mil

SHAH ALAM: The Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute's (MARii) former chief executive officer (CEO) was charged again in the Sessions Court here, today, on 17 counts of misappropriation of the company’s funds, amounting to RM1.63 million, between 2020 and 2021.

Datuk Mohamad Madani Sahari, 57, pleaded not guilty after all charges were read before judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.

Mohamad Madani is accused of dishonestly using MARii funds, amounting to RM1,630,200, by issuing cheques from LPS Learning Platform for a stem cell treatment of RM500,000, at VHG Wellness, at a branch of a bank at Section 20, here, between July 13, 2020 and April 26, 2021.

The charge, framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code, carries a jail term of not less than six months and not more than five years, with whipping and fine, upon conviction.

Judge Awang Kerisnada, following a request by deputy public prosecutor, Law Chin How, allowed the accused to use bail of RM300,000 in one surety, with his passport to be handed over to the court, as stipulated by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday.

Law also applied for the case to be tried together with another case at the Criminal Sessions Court 8 in Kuala Lumpur.

Lawyers Rahmat Mohamed Hazlan and Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, representing the accused, did not object to the application.

The court set Feb 29 for mention.

Yesterday, Mohamad Madani claimed trial in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on a charge of cheating MARii's board of directors, by deceiving them into believing that the price offered by LPS Learning Platform to conduct the training was RM6.4 million, when the actual price was only RM2.3 million, five years ago.

He was also charged in three separate courts in Shah Alam, Kuala Lumpur and Alor Setar with bribery and money laundering.