A former special officer to the Malacca Historic City Council mayor has been charged with money-laundering and criminal breach of trust involving RM19.3 million.

Mohd Yusof Abu Hassan, 56, was charged with 11 counts under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money-Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amlatfa) and four counts of criminal breach of trust under the Penal Code.

He claimed trial to all charges before Malacca Sessions Court judge Norma Ismail.

Yusof is alleged to have transferred RM8,188,074.87 in money-laundering activities sometime between March to September last year in Malacca.

He is also alleged to have breached the trust of two companies when he used cheques amounting to RM11.2 million from Taraf Budi Development Sdn Bhd and SP Enterprise Sdn Bhd, where he is an agent. The four counts of criminal breach of trust are said to have occurred between February and August last year in Malacca.

Yusof stands to face a 15-year jail sentence and a fine of up to five times the amount of money laundered if found guilty of the charges under Amlatfa. He will also potentially be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail, caning and a fine if convicted of the four charges under the Penal Code.

The judge set bail at RM1.6 million with one surety and ordered him to surrender his passport to the court. She also fixed June 22 for further mention.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission DPPs Afzainizam Abdul Aziz and Ahmad Akram Gharib appeared for the prosecution.

The New Straits Times had previously reported that the MACC seized more than RM150 million in cash, vehicles, assets and documents from Yusof.

Among the items seized included RM12.6 million in cash in bank accounts, 56 land titles belonging to Yayasan Melaka in Sabah, six State Economic Planning Unit files related to land reclamation projects, and seven vehicles, including a Toyota Vellfire and a BMW.

PKR vice-president and Bukit Katil MP, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, had previously urged the MACC to act on Yusof, when they failed to charge the politician after a warrant of arrest had been issued last month.