Court allows bail for businessman involved in investment scam in Makkah

The Magistrate's Court here today allowed bail for the businessman who is facing two counts of cheating involving RM320,000 purportedly for investments in hotel in Makkah two years ago.

Magistrate Ahmad Solihin Abd Wahid allowed Sheikh Saidey Nor Sheikh Abdul Rahman, 43, bail of RM10,000 with one surety and set April 17 for the re-mention of the case.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Noorelynna Hanim Abd Halim proposed bail of RM50,000 with one surety, but Sheikh Saidey Nor, who was represented by counsel Che Arifin Mohd Ali, appealed for minimum bail on grounds that he had to support a wife and four children.

Sheikh Saidey Nor was charged on Jan 11 with cheating Mohd Ismail Norbat, through a proxy named Nor Hazeerena Hamdan, by offering a lease of a non-existent hotel room in Makkah.

The offer had prompted the victim to bank in RM324,300 into three bank accounts belonging to Nor Hazeerena before they were transferred to eight accounts managed by the accused.

The businessman was alleged to have committed the offence at Maybank Desa Pandan here between Nov 27, 2015 and June 30, 2016.

The charge under Section 420 of the Penal Code provides a maximum jail of 10 years, whipping and fine, if convicted.

On Jan 10, Sheikh Saidey Nor and his wife, Sofia Affendi, 42, were both charged at the Magistrate Court in Johor Bahru with cheating a businesswoman of almost RM600,000 in an investment scam two years ago.

On Jan 12, Sheikh Saidey Nor was also slapped with another charge of cheating several individuals purportedly for investments in hotels in Makkah. - BERNAMA