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KUALA LUMPUR: A woman, accused of impersonating a Pahang princess to cheat, has withdrawn her guilty plea on charges of money-laundering amounting to RM2.8mil.
Rohaida Yahil, 41, who suffers from dwarfism, had on March 14 admitted to the eight counts of laundering.
She allegedly received the money via 284 transfers from accounts belonging to one Khuzairah Abdul Latiff and one Mohd Ghazali Othman at a bank branch in Ampang Point between Aug 28, 2014 and April 22 last year.
She can be jailed up to 15 years and fined no less than five times the amount of the proceeds or RM5mil, whichever is higher, if convicted.
The insurance executive was due to be sentenced for the offence yesterday but her newly-appointed lawyer, Shamsul Sulaiman, told Sessions Court judge Rushan Lutfi Hakim Mohamed that she wanted to withdraw her admission of guilt.
“My client was unrepresented when she pleaded guilty.
“We ask that the proceedings be postponed and her guilty plea withdrawn, so she can get proper legal advice,” he said.
The court fixed May 8 for mention.
On March 14, Rohaida also admitted to 53 counts of cheating one Datuk Dr Abdul Jalil Jidon, 60.
She was accused of deceiving him into believing that she was Tengku Aishah Sultan Ahmad Shah, which induced him to hand her RM1.2mil.
For that offence, she was jailed three years and two months.
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/04/woman-changes-mind-in-moneylaundering-case-she-withdraws-guilty-plea-after-getting-legal-counsel/#9VLSfL28ofhjoo81.99