Man begins 5-year jail term for cheating 202 people of umrah funds

The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of former Raudhah Mawaddah Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd managing director Misbahalmunir Omar for cheating 202 people out of RM434,250, but reduced his 10-year jail term to five years, effective immediately. A three-judge panel, including Justices Azman Abdullah, Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid, and Dean Wayne Daly, unanimously upheld the conviction but allowed the reduction of the sentence.

Meor stated that the prosecution had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt and dismissed Omar's challenge to the charges as they were not defective and provided sufficient particulars for a defense. He also found no reason to interfere with the magistrate's findings, which were affirmed by the High Court. The court confirmed the charges were framed in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code, and any defects, if present, were curable under Section 422.

Omar, who was on bail pending the appeal, was also ordered to be committed. The scam involved collecting payments from 202 individuals for an umrah and Egypt tour package, with amounts ranging from RM2,000 to RM36,600. The money was deposited into accounts belonging to Omar's relatives, employees, and family-owned companies. The case came to light after tour participants discovered invalid flight schedules and tickets at KLIA, leading to a police report on Jan 30, 2016. Most of the victims were tahfiz students and senior citizens, with two having since died.