KUANTAN: A former pawnshop sales assistant was charged at the Sessions Court here today with 65 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) amounting to over RM600,000.
Lee Pey Loo, 27, claimed trial after the charges were read to her by the court interpreter before Judge Sazlina Safie.
The court interpreter took almost 50 minutes to read out the charges.
According to the charge sheet, the accused, as the sales assistant at a pawnshop, was entrusted with the possession of gold jewellery and gold bars worth between RM3,200 and RM70,000 belonging to 39 customers and had committed CBT for personal use.
Lee was accused of committing the offence at a pawn shop along Jalan Pasar here between 12.30pm and 2pm on Aug 6.
The charges, under Section 408 of the Penal Code, carry a penalty of up to 14 years in prison with whipping and a fine upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Ezuain Farhana Ahmad proposed the court impose bail at RM10,000 for each charge since the charges involve substantial financial losses.
"The accused is facing 65 charges involving 39 customers whose losses incurred by Lee's employer were more than RM600,000.
"The additional conditions are for the accused to surrender her passport to the court and to report to the Kuantan police station every month till the case is over," she said.
Meanwhile, lawyer Mohd Shuhairil Ziqrul Sapi urged for a minimum bail saying his client was no longer working at the pawnshop and had to support her parents.
"The bail amount is to ensure the accused attends court and is not meant for punitive purposes.
"Her family was only informed about the court charges yesterday and they could not raise much cash for the bail so I plead for a minimum amount," he said.
Sazlina set RM1,100 bail for each charge amounting RM71,500 with one surety for all charges and ordered Tan to report to the Kuantan police station every month, and surrender her passport to court.
She fixed Oct 2 for mention.