The Teluk Intan sessions court sentenced Firdaus Rizal Abdul Manan to two years’ jail for each of nine charges of criminal breach of trust, to run consecutively, after he pleaded guilty to misappropriating funds from various sale and purchase transactions.

Judge Norhazimah Shaiffudin also ordered Firdaus to be whipped twice and imposed fines totalling RM90,000.

The offences took place at a bank in Teluk Intan between 2012 and 2019.

In meting out the custodial sentence, Norhazimah noted that the offences committed involved a substantial sum, causing significant losses and hardship to the victims.

“Some of them have since died and are not able to see justice served.

“There was also no evidence that the accused (Firdaus) took steps to return the money to the victims. He had the time to make things right but did not do so,” she added.

Norhazimah also said she had considered Firdaus’s health when deciding on the whipping sentence, noting that he suffered from various illnesses.

“The court is of the view that too much caning is not a suitable punishment for the accused,” she said.