Former Preschool Teacher Charged With RM133,550 Money Laundering Over Alleged New Zealand Migration Scam
SHAH ALAM, July 3 — A former preschool teacher has pleaded not guilty to three money laundering charges involving RM133,550, allegedly obtained after convincing a woman to part with cash and valuables through promises of helping her child migrate to New Zealand for a better future.
A. Venmani, 50, entered the plea when the charges were read before the Sessions Court here on Friday.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly received RM83,550 and RM50,000 in separate stages through her personal bank account between January 1 and February 24 last year. The transactions were said to have taken place through bank branches in Bandar Baru Rawang and Kota Kemuning.
In addition to the cash, Venmani was also accused of receiving two gold necklaces and a gold pendant from the same woman at a jewellery shop in Taman Sri Muda on January 13, 2025.
The prosecution alleged that the money and jewellery constituted proceeds linked to unlawful activities after the complainant was allegedly induced to make the payments based on assurances that her child could relocate to New Zealand to pursue a better life.
The woman has been charged under Paragraph 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA).
If convicted, she faces a prison sentence of up to 15 years, a fine of five times the value of the alleged proceeds of unlawful activities, or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
The court was also informed that Venmani is already facing a separate predicate offence before another Sessions Court in Shah Alam after being charged under the same legislation in March this year.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Ahmad Hakim Wan Ahmad Jaafar requested bail of RM30,000 for each charge and proposed several additional conditions, including requiring the accused to report regularly to a nearby police station, surrender her passport to the court and refrain from contacting or interfering with prosecution witnesses.
The prosecution also applied for the present case to be heard together with the earlier case currently pending before Sessions Court 2 in Shah Alam, citing the related nature of the proceedings.
Defence counsel Farith Emier Farhan Morni urged the court to reduce bail to RM10,000 for all three charges.
He told the court that his client had already posted RM30,000 bail in the earlier case filed in March, leaving both the accused and her husband with depleted savings.
The lawyer further submitted that Venmani is no longer employed, having resigned following the earlier court proceedings, and that her husband is now the family’s sole income earner while also supporting his elderly and ailing mother.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Sessions Court Judge Datin Fatimah Zahari granted bail of RM15,000 covering all three charges with one surety.
The court also imposed the additional conditions sought by the prosecution and fixed August 10 for the next case management.
