SHAH ALAM - Social media influencer Mohd Hazalif Mohd Hazani, better known as Alif Teega, and his wife Aisyah Hijanah Azhari pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to 10 charges of misappropriation of funds collected for charitable activities amounting to more than RM1.52 million.
The couple made the plea after all the charges were read out to them before Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.
On the first to the 10th charges, they are jointly charged with misappropriating RM1,526,372.16 which was collected for charity including for the purchase of the Quran and food for the poor in Mekah and Madinah, flood relief in Kelantan and Terengganu and Raya clothing for orphans.
The offences were allegedly committed at Maybank and CIMB Bank in Sections 8 and 9, Bandar Baru Bangi, between May 11, 2021 and July 2, 2024.
The charges, framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code and read with Section 34 of the same law, provide a maximum prison sentence of five years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.
Judge Awang Kerisnada allowed Mohd Hazalif, 30, and Aisyah Hijanah, 26, bail of RM50,000 each and also ordered the couple to report themselves at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the first week of every month.
Since Mohd Hazalif had surrendered his passport to the court over charges made against him at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court last Friday, Judge Awang Kerisnada only ordered Aisyah Hijanah to surrender her passport.
The judge also ordered the couple not to contact any witness in the case.
The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh while lawyer Mohd Shahrullah Khan represented the couple.
Last Friday, Mohd Hazalif pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, to two charges of misappropriation of funds amounting to RM63,605.48 collected through two charity programmes carried out in April and June this year. - BERNAMA