Bandar Seri Begawan - At the High Court yesterday Justice Dato Paduka Hairol Arni Hj Abd Majid rejected the plea of Woo Kian Min in the Criminal Asset Recovery Order (CARO) case as Woo disputed facts of the case, contradicting the charge which he had pleaded guilty to earlier.

Justice Dato Hairol Arni fixed July 1 to July 13, 2013 as trial dates and extended Woo's bail.

The 41-year-old Malaysian national was first charged before the Magistrate's Court in Bandar Seri Begawan on an allegation of moving close to half a million Brunei dollars (in Brunei and Malaysian currency) into the country.

Woo has pleaded guilty to the charge, while the court has ruled to return the money to him.

He was arrested by the Marine Police on September 4, 2012 at 3pm in the vicinity of the Brunei River, where he was found to be in possession of a substantial amount of cash. The defendant moved the money into the country from Lawas, Sarawak.

Moving money in or out of the country which exceeds the prescribed amount of $15,000 without giving a report in respect of the movement is an offence under Section 37 (2) of the Criminal Asset Recovery Order 2012, which carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding $50,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both.

DPP Suhana Hj Sudin prosecuted the case. Woo is represented by Siva Sankaran and Sharifah Safina of Sankaran Halim Advocates and Solicitors.