SELAYANG: GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd chairman and chief executive officer Datuk Nasiruddin Mohd Ali and his wife, Datin Azura Md Yusof, were charged at the Sessions Court today with being members of an organised criminal group.
They were accused of being members of the organised criminal group under GISB Holdings between Oct 2020 to Sept 11 this year at Bandar Country Homes in Rawang, Selangor.
They were charged under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of not less than five years and a maximum of 20 years.
Nasiruddin, clad in a grey jubah and songkok, was the first to be called in court.
He said he understood the charge read out to him before Judge Lailatul Zuraida Harron@Harun.
Nasiruddin, his wife as well as 20 others faced the same charges.
The accused are: Nasiruddin; Azura; Hasnan Abd Hamid, 53; son of Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammad, Mohammad Adib At-Tarmizi Asa'ari, 32; Mohd Shukri Mohd Noor, 53; Mokhtar Tajuddin, 60; Shuhaimi Mohamed, 56; Muhammad Afdaluddin Latif, 34; Mohamad Sayuti Omar, 35; Mohd Fazil Md Jasin, 57; Mohd Dhirar Fakhrur Razi, 34; Muhammad Zahid Azhar@Nadzri, 51; Abu Ubaidah Ahmad Shukri, 34; Muhammad Fajrul Islam Khalid, 28; Hamimah Yakub, 72; Asmat@Asmanira Muhammad Ramly,44; Mahani Kasim, 54; Siti Hajar Ismail, 51; Khalilatul-Zalifah Mohammad Jamil, 27; Nurul Jannah Idris, 28; Nur Jannah Omar, 32; and Siti Salmiah Ismail, 57.
No pleas were recorded as the case, under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
The court set Dec 23 for mention.
Earlier, defence lawyer Datuk Rosli Kamaruddin sought guidance from the court on whether bail application could be heard for those eligible or if it must wait until the case is transferred to the High Court.
To this, the judge said she could not grant bail and it was under the High Court's jurisdiction.
All 22 GISB members, 13 men and nine women, with ages ranging from their 30s to 72, entered the court room at 10.01am for proceedings, which began at 10.15am.
Rosli and his team of lawyers were seen speaking to them before proceedings commenced.
During proceedings, the court granted Rosli's application for a 10-minute break to enable Nasiruddin, Azura and two others to sign their affidavits.
He also asked for a female accused to get treatment as she was unwell in court. The woman had a wracking cough, which prompted lawyers and police to check on her.
The judge also ordered any accused in need of medical treatment to be accorded so.
Deputy public prosecutors Datuk Razali Che Ani, Datuk Nazran Mohd Sham, Lina Hanini Ismail and Siti Hajar Mat Radzi prosecuted.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain last night said 22 people in GISB would be charged with being part of an organised criminal group.
GISB came into the public eye last month when police launched a series of raids under Op Global on 20 welfare homes run by the company.
Police had rescued more than 400 children, aged between one and 17, who were believed to have been exploited and abused.
Razarudin said the group had been on the police watch list since 2011, and that the raids were the culmination of a six-month probe to gather intelligence, build a case, and formulate an action plan.
He said initial investigation suggested that some of the children had been sodomised.
The group was also being probed for forced labour, with the victims' ages ranging between 14 and 20.
The incidences of forced labour allegedly took place in Miri, Sarawak; Rawang, Selangor; and Alor Setar, Kedah between 2013 and this year.
GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd has since denied the allegations.