00:00Former Penang Deputy Chief Minister Tu, P. Ramasamy, was charged with 17 counts of criminal breach of trust involving Penang Hindu Endowments Board funds.
00:14Ramasamy, who was the PHEB chairman from 2010 to 2023, is accused of using PHEB funds between May 2019 and February 2022 without obtaining the board's formal approval.
00:26The charges against the 76-year-old are linked to the procurement of a gold-plated Taipusam chariot in 2019 and payments for education sponsorships and medical assistance to individuals.
00:39He pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before Judge Zohazmi Abdullah at the Butterworth Sessions Court.
00:46The charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.