The Star
By Nelson Benjamin
By Nelson Benjamin
JOHOR BARU: The court here has been hit by fraudsters again — this time court documents were forged to secure the release of the bail bond of an accused.
The forged court documents were presented to a local bank which released the bond or fixed deposit slips without proper verification.
(A bail bond is in the form of a fixed deposit, which is a bond or obligation given by an accused and his surety to ensure his appearance in court. The amount will be forfeited if the accused jumps bail or absconds before a judgment is handed down.)
The fraud was only detected recently — almost a year after the money was cashed — after a magistrate ordered the bond to be forfeited.
The order was made after the accused, who was involved in a drug case, jumped bail and did not attend court.
When the bank informed the court that the money was taken out last year, a court interpreter lodged a police report.
This is the second time such a case has been reported in the Johor Baru court.
Last year, important court documents, including bail bonds meant for safekeeping pending the conclusion of a trial, went missing at the courthouse.
A 26-year-old former court interpreter has claimed trial to 11 charges of committing criminal breach of trust by disposing bank-in slips and receipts for sums totalling RM96,000. The case is still pending.
In the latest case, investigations showed that a man, in his 40s, was charged at a magistrate’s court for a drug offence last year and released on a RM3,000 bail, posted by a friend.
Sources said police believed that a man had used fake court documents to cash the fixed deposit slips.
Police have now obtained arrest warrants for the accused and his bailor.
Court authorities and banks have been urged to tighten their procedures as there would be many more such cases yet to be detected. “Bail bonds should always be kept in a secure location by court registrars,” sources said.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaacob confirmed that a report had been lodged and police were investigating the case. He urged those with information to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999.
When the bank informed the court that the money was taken out last year, a court interpreter lodged a police report.
This is the second time such a case has been reported in the Johor Baru court.
Last year, important court documents, including bail bonds meant for safekeeping pending the conclusion of a trial, went missing at the courthouse.
A 26-year-old former court interpreter has claimed trial to 11 charges of committing criminal breach of trust by disposing bank-in slips and receipts for sums totalling RM96,000. The case is still pending.
In the latest case, investigations showed that a man, in his 40s, was charged at a magistrate’s court for a drug offence last year and released on a RM3,000 bail, posted by a friend.
Sources said police believed that a man had used fake court documents to cash the fixed deposit slips.
Police have now obtained arrest warrants for the accused and his bailor.
Court authorities and banks have been urged to tighten their procedures as there would be many more such cases yet to be detected. “Bail bonds should always be kept in a secure location by court registrars,” sources said.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaacob confirmed that a report had been lodged and police were investigating the case. He urged those with information to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999.
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