High Court dismisses ex-Axis adviser’s appeal, upholds jail term and RM800,000 fine

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — The High Court here today dismissed the appeal by former Axis Incorporation Bhd board adviser Lee Koon Huat against his conviction and sentence on four charges of abetting the furnishing of false financial statements to Bursa Malaysia.

In a statement today, the Securities Commission (SC) said Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin held that the prosecution had proven the charges against Lee beyond reasonable doubt at trial and there were no grounds to interfere with the Sessions Court’s decision.

“The High Court further agreed with the SC’s submission that the sentence imposed against Lee was appropriate in view of Lee’s role in the commission of the offences.

“As such, the court dismissed Lee’s appeal against sentence and upheld the sentence imposed by the Sessions Court, being six months’ imprisonment and a fine of RM200,000 for each charge or in default, six months’ imprisonment,” it said.

The statement said, the court allowed Lee’s application for stay of execution in respect of the sentence of imprisonment, but declined to grant a stay in respect of the fine.

“Lee will have to pay a total fine of RM800,000 by today, failing which he will be imprisoned in default of the payment,” said the statement.

The SC said Lee was initially charged at the Sessions Court on 23 March 2013 with four charges under Section 122C(c) read together with Section 122B(a)(bb) of the Securities Industry Act 1983 (SIA) for abetting Axis in the furnishing of false financial statements relating to the revenue of Axis for the financial year 2007.

“Evidence adduced during the trial established that Lee had instructed the inflation of Axis’ reported revenue in its four unaudited quarterly results for the financial year 2007,” it said.

The SC had also previously charged three former Axis executive directors, Lee Han Boon, Saipuddin Lim Abdullah and Koh Tee Jin, with offences relating to the furnishing of false financial statements for the 2007 and 2008 financial years.

All three pleaded guilty and were sentenced to imprisonment terms ranging from one day to 12 months, while Lee Han Boon and Koh were also sentenced to fine of RM200,000 respectively.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Shoba Venu Gobal and prosecuting officers Low Wen Zhen, Eunice Ong, and Amina Qistina Mohd Idris appeared for the SC while Lee was represented by counsel Jason Ng Kau and Caroline Lee. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，10月28日讯——吉隆坡高等法院今日驳回了前Axis Incorporation Bhd董事会顾问李坤发的上诉，维持了他因教唆他人向马来西亚证券交易所提供虚假财务报表而被判四项罪名成立和判刑的判决。

证券委员会（SC）今天发表声明称，法官努尔·鲁韦纳·穆罕默德·努尔丁认为，控方在审判中已在排除合理怀疑的情况下证明了对李的指控，没有理由干预地方法院的判决。

“高等法院进一步同意最高法院的意见，认为鉴于李在犯罪中所扮演的角色，对李判处的刑罚是适当的。

“因此，法院驳回了李某对判决的上诉，维持了地方法院的判决，即每项指控判处六个月监禁和20万令吉罚款，如果不缴纳罚款，则判处六个月监禁。”声明中写道。

声明称，法院准许了李某暂缓执行监禁刑罚的申请，但拒绝准许暂缓执行罚款。

声明称：“李某必须在今天之前缴纳总计80万令吉的罚款，否则将面临监禁。”

证券委员会表示，李某最初于 2013 年 3 月 23 日在地方法院被控四项罪名，违反了 1983 年证券业法令 (SIA) 第 122C(c) 条和第 122B(a)(bb) 条，罪名是教唆 Axis 公司提供与 Axis 公司 2007 财年收入有关的虚假财务报表。

声明称：“审判期间提供的证据表明，李指示Axis公司在2007财年的四份未经审计的季度业绩报告中虚报收入。”

证券委员会此前还指控 Axis 的三名前执行董事 Lee Han Boon、Saipuddin Lim Abdullah 和 Koh Tee Jin 犯有与提供 2007 年和 2008 年财政年度虚假财务报表有关的罪行。

三人均认罪，被判处从一天到十二个月不等的监禁，李汉文和许某还分别被判处罚款20万令吉。

副检察官肖巴·维努·戈巴尔（Shoba Venu Gobal）以及检控官刘文珍（Low Wen Zhen）、王恩妮（Eunice Ong）和阿米娜·基斯蒂娜·莫哈末·伊德里斯（Amina Qistina Mohd Idris）代表最高法院出庭，而李某的代理律师是杰森·吴考（Jason Ng Kau）和卡罗琳·李（Caroline Lee）。——马新社

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