SEREMBAN: A 34-year-old housewife claimed trial at separate Magistrate's Courts here to five charges of cheating potential tenants by offering them houses to rent involving a sum of RM11,436.
R. Shalini pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to her separately before Magistrates Norzaliza Tesnim and Mohd Firdaus Salleh.
She allegedly committed the offences at various locations here between Feb 17 and 26, 2021.
Before Magistrate Norzaliza, Shalini was accused of cheating Suhana Azimi, 25, by asking her to deposit RM2,574 into an account and 40-year-old S. Malliga to remit RM1,940 after offering them houses for rent.
Apart from a month’s rent, the payment included a two-month deposit as well as for utility bills.
When produced before Magistrate Mohd Firdaus later, the suspect was charged with cheating Hussaini Jaffry, 25, to bank in RM2,400 and S. Thiuyahrani, 29, to pay RM2,574 for houses they intended to rent from her.
For the final charge, Shalini was accused of cheating Mohd Azuan Johor, 35, by asking him to deposit RM1,948 into the same bank account, claiming that she had already made the rent payment for a house he was interested in.
Shalini was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code for the first four charges which provides a jail term of up to five years, a fine or both upon conviction.
For the fifth, she was charged under Section 420 of the same legislation which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine, upon conviction.
The accused, who was represented by lawyers from the Legal Aid Bureau, then asked both courts for a low bail as her 45-year-old lorry driver husband earned only RM2,000 a month and was the sole breadwinner of the family, adding that the couple also has three young children.
Norzaliza offered the accused a total bail of RM6,500 while Mohd Firdaus offered RM7,000.
All five cases will be up for mention on March 23.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Nurul Muhaimin Mohd Azman and Hafizah Zainul Hashimi prosecuted.