Aries
KOTA KINABALU (Jan 10): A 29-year-old man claimed trial at the Sessions Court here on Wednesday to two charges of cheating another man by posing as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner and deputy chief commissioner (Operations) in June last year.
On the first count, Aries Ryan Phillip Among, who appeared before judge Jason Juga, had allegedly cheated the 60-year-old victim by masquerading as the MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya through social media WhatsApp at a house in Perumahan Desa Aman, police headquarters here in Jalan Kepayan at 11.46am on June 24, 2023.
Aries had allegedly induced the victim to bank in RM8,000 into a bank account belonging to another person for a sacrificial cow donation.
On the second count, Aries was alleged to have cheated the same victim by masquerading as the MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, also through WhatsApp at the same place at 11.22am on June 30, 2023.
Aries had allegedly induced the victim to bank in another RM27,000 for a donation to attend the so-called convocation of Azam Baki’s son in Sydney, Australia and RM14,300 for loan purposes, which the money for both matters were allegedly banked in to separate bank accounts.
The alleged offences were under Section 419 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Aries also faces two alternative charges related to deceiving the same individual. In the first alternative charge, he deceived the individual into depositing RM8,000 into an account supposedly for a sacrificial cow donation at 11:46 am on June 24 last year (No impersonation charge for Ahmad Khusairi).
For the second alternative charge, Aries Ryan is accused of deceiving the same individual by impersonating as Azam, leading the victim to deposit RM27,000 into an account supposedly for contributing to his child’s convocation in Sydney, Australia, and RM14,300 into another account as a loan at 11:22 am on June 30 last year.
He is alleged to have committed both offences through the WhatsApp application at the same location and faces charges under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which provides imprisonment for up to five years, or a fine or both, if found guilty.
The judge also ordered Aries to report to the MACC office once in two months, not to disturb any of the prosecution’s witnesses and Aries’ passport to be impounded by the court, pending the disposal of the cases.
Aries was represented by counsel Muhamad Amirul Hj Amin.