Kuching: A former assistant officer from the Sarawak Welfare Department was today sentenced to 468 years in prison and fined RM180 million, in default 36 months’ imprisonment, for money laundering and criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving over RM16 million.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sessions Court judge Musli Ab Hamid imposed the sentence on Mohd Zairull Arzuan Mohd Shamsuddin Ja’afar @ Ang Chui Thong, 38. Mohd Zairull pleaded guilty to 36 charges of money laundering and three charges of CBT.

For the money laundering offences, Mohd Zairull received a sentence of 12 years in prison and a RM5 million fine for each count, with the sentences running concurrently. Additionally, for the charges of CBT, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison and one stroke of the rotan for each charge, also to run concurrently.

The crimes involved more than RM6 million in money laundering between 2020 and 2022, and over RM10 million in CBT between 2019 and 2021.

For the money laundering offences, he was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4(1) of the same Act. The CBT charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which provides a jail term of two to 20 years with caning or a fine upon conviction.

The prosecution team was led by deputy public prosecutors Wan Nur Amanina Wan Din, Mohd Ashrof Kamarul, and Manjira Vasudevan. Mohd Zairull was represented by counsel Christopher Bada.