A Malaysian court has jailed a couple for stealing from the bank accounts of people aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a news report said today.

Former bank employee Nur Shila Kanan, 34, was sentenced yesterday to six years in jail after admitting 12 counts of illegally obtaining RM77,530 (US$21,600) from the bank accounts of people aboard the missing plane.

“I hope you will repent and take the jail sentence as a lesson,” The Star newspaper quoted Sessions Court Judge Judge Norsharidah Awang as saying.

“It is very wrong for a bank officer to transfer and withdraw money owned by your clients. You took advantage of the trust given by them,” Norsharidah added.

Nur Shila’s husband, Basheer Ahmad Maula Sahul Hameed, 34, had already been sentenced to four years in jail and three strokes of the cane for admitting to four counts of withdrawing RM7,650 from the bank account of a passenger.

The offences were committed between May 14 and July 8 last year, a few months after the Beijing-bound plane disappeared on March 8 after taking off from the KL International Airport.

- dpa