Court sentences ex-Welfare Dept officer to 468 years jail, RM180m fine, rotan

Summary

• Kuching Sessions Court sentences a former Sarawak Welfare Department officer to 468 years in jail, three strokes of the rotan and a fine of RM180 million.

• Mohd Zairull Mohd Shamsuddin Ja’afar, a former Sarawak Welfare Department financial administrative assistant, pleaded guilty to 36 charges of money laundering and three counts of criminal breach of trust involving over RM16 million.

• He will spend at least 12 years in jail depending on the payment of his fine - failure to do so will compel him to spend another three years behind bars.

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A former Sarawak Welfare Department officer was sentenced to 468 years in jail, three strokes of the rotan and fined RM180 million by the Kuching Sessions Court.

Zairull Arzuan Mohd Shamsuddin Ja’afar @ Ang Chui Thong, 38, pleaded guilty to 36 charges of money laundering and three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving over RM16 million, according to The Borneo Post.

"As the jail sentences will run concurrently, Zairull will spend at least 12 years in jail depending on whether he will be able to pay the RM180 million fine, failing which he will need to complete another three years behind bars," the report noted.

Judge Musli Ab Hamid imposed 12 years' imprisonment and a RM5 million fine for each of the 36 money laundering charges.

The CBT charges each brought on 12 years' imprisonment and one stroke of the rotan.

The money laundering charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

The CBT charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code.

Suspicious transactions

Zairull committed the money laundering offences between 2020 and 2022, involving a sum of RM6,013,504.30.

The CBT offences took place between 2019 and 2021, involving a total of RM10,272,350.13.

Zairull is a former Sarawak Welfare Department financial administrative assistant.

"It is understood that Zairull’s salary statement revealed suspicious transactions, with over RM4 million being credited into his account.

"It is also understood that Zairull, who was the officer responsible for the salary simulation of the department in Sarawak, submitted his resignation letter effective Jan 31, 2022.

"However, he shortened his notice period and resigned with immediate effect on Dec 31, 2021," the report said.

It did not mention the reason for Zairull's resignation.

The deputy public prosecutors for the case were Wan Nur Amanina Wan Din, Mohd Ashrof Kamarul, and Manjira Vasudevan.

Christopher Bada represented Zairull.

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