KUALA LUMPUR: E-commerce platform FashionValet founders Datin Vivy Sofinas Yusof and her husband, Datuk Fadzarudin Shah Anuar were allowed to travel abroad to perform the umrah next month.
This is after the Sessions Court here today allowed the couple's application to temporarily obtain their international passports for the trip today.
Judge Rosli Ahmad made the decision after the prosecution led by Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin did not file any objection to the application.
"The application for passports is approved starting today, and the applicants must return the passports to the court by Jan 15," he said briefly.
Earlier, lawyer Ashok Athimulan who appeared for the couple said his clients would depart for Saudi Arabia on Jan 5 to perform the umrah and return to Malaysia on Jan 14.
"I request the passports to be handed over today as the absence of the passports makes it difficult to make bookings and other arrangements.
My clients will return the passports to the court on Jan 15," the lawyer said in his submissions.
Vivy, 37, and Fadzarudin, 36, pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM8 million linked to Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd.
The couple is accused of jointly committing CBT as directors of FashionValet Sdn Bhd, entrusted with investment funds from government linked investment companies, Khazanah and PNB, totalling RM8 million.
They are alleged to have fraudulently made an RM8 million payment from FashionValet's bank account to 30 Maple Sdn Bhd without approval from FashionValet's board of directors.
30 Maple, which runs the luxury headscarf brand, dUCK, is owned by the couple.
The alleged offence took place at the Public Bank Bhd branch in Bukit Damansara on Aug 21, 2018.
If convicted under Section 409 of the Penal Code read with Section 34, the couple faces a jail sentence of not less than two years and up to 20 years, with whipping and a fine.