A durian farmer found himself being accused of a serious charge which alleged he had stolen casino chips worth millions from a casino room at Genting Highlands last year.
45-year-old Lee Kian Keong pleaded not guilty when the charge was read out to him via a court interpreter before Magistrate Siti Aisyah Ahmad at the Raub Magistrate’s Court yesterday (June 5), reported Sinar Harian.
Accused of stealing casino chips worth RM4.6mil
According to the charge sheet, Lee, along with three others, allegedly broke their way into and stole 1,160 chips worth RM4,607,800 belonging to Genting Highlands Berhad in the Twilight 3 room, Sky Casino Genting Highlands, at 7.12 am on Oct 28, 2023.
The charge, which was framed under Section 457 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine.
Should theft be found to have taken place, the prison sentence may be lengthened to 14 years, and the accused may be fined and whipped for subsequent offenses.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Zamharir Muhammad Zuhid requested bail of RM15,000 with one surety, while Lee’s counsel Dinesh Muthal asked the court to impose a lower bail amount, citing Lee’s irregular income as a durian seller and him having to take care of his elderly mother.
Bail was eventually set at RM10,000 with one surety and the court set July 26 for case mention.
What happened at the casino last year?
On the day of the heist, an assistant manager who was on duty found two identified men scooping the casino chips from two gaming tables while reviewing CCTV footage.
A police report was later lodged and it triggered a wide manhunt for the suspects responsible for the heist.