SHAH ALAM: National Council of Professors (MPN) president Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Raduan Che Rose expressed shock with the seven criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges involving RM271,000 levelled against him in court today.
Raduan, who stood in the dock before Sessions Court judge Datuk Anita Harun, claimed trial to all the charges and repeatedly maintained his innocence.
The 64-year-old was accused of using his two official capacities to channel the funds to MPN Global Reach Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Professor Datuk Dr Kefli Mahbol.
"Yang Arif, I have been in service for more than 40 years. I am still shocked with the charges against me. I cannot accept this because what I did was based on my capacity and I had given the approval according to the rules and agreements. This is regrettable.
"My reputation has been marred. I cannot imagine what my fate will be or the perception others will have of me, especially considering that the institution I lead has over 200,000 students and 20,000 staff whom I interact with regularly. I cannot imagine what will happen when this news comes out. This is an injustice to me.
"I plead not guilty. Those (the monies) are his (Kefli) halal pay," he said.
On the first and second charges, Raduan was accused, in his capacity MPN president entrusted with the authority of MPN funds, committed CBT where he had fraudulently misused the monies by approving RM33,000 and RM38,000, and put them into Kefli's account via cheques.
He committed the offences on March 14 and April 3 last year.
On the third to seventh charges, Raduan was accused of committing CBT as the director of MPN Global Reach Sdn Bhd concerning the deposit funds for the UKMShape-MPN Global Reach programme, where he withdrew a total of RM200,000 via bank cheques for Kefli.
He committed the offences on April 5, 8 and 15 this year.
All of the offences were committed at MPN's office in Country Heights Kajang, Hulu Langat.
The offence framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code provides a jail term not less than two years and a maximum of 20 years; with whipping and fine upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How proposed a bail of RM70,000 with one surety for all charges and for the accused's passport to be surrendered to the court.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz said bail should be set at RM20,000 as no where in the charges had stated that his client had siphoned the money for his own interest.
"There is no tendency or reason for him to abscond. He is a renowned person and his latest position is the chairman of UiTM Council, aside from once being the vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.
"He has all the reason to defend himself in court to clear his name and restore.
"Moreover, tonight he is scheduled to deliver a speech in his capacity the chairman of UiTM Council at UiTM's 25th anniversary as a university before the Sultan of Selangor, the prime minister and senior ministers," he said.
Raduan had also thrice pleaded for the bail to be lowered.
Anita then set bail at RM40,000 with one surety for all charges and ordered Raduan to report to the Putrajaya Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the first week of the month and to not harass prosecution witnesses.
In the same court, Kefli,65, was charged with seven charges of conspiring with Raduan to commit the CBT offences linked to the deposit money of the UKMShape-MPH Global Reach Sdn Bhd programme.
Kefli committed the offences at the same date and location.
The father of two was charged under Section 109 read together with Section 409 of the same code.
Law said the prosecution has no problem if the same bail granted on Raduan sum was imposed on Kefli.
In mitigation, Khairul urged the court to impose a RM10,000 bail as Kefli is a bankrupt and jobless.
Anita allowed bail at RM40,000 with one surety and ordered him to report to Putrajaya MACC on the first week of the month.
The court set Oct 23 for mention for both cases.
In July, the Auditor-General's Report revealed that nearly RM374,000 in MPN funds were misused to benefit two companies as well as the payment of fixed allowances for the MPN chairman and deputy chairman totalling RM207,000 were not approved by the relevant minister.