KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: A mover, plumber, electrician and a fourth man.

These are the people allegedly cheated by a man, said to be the brother of "Datuk Kabi" and his ex-wife using cheques amounting to more than RM90,000 which subsequently bounced.

C. Yoganandha Moorthy, 35, was charged in two Sessions Courts yesterday with 11 counts of cheating while his co-accused Mercy Sumathi Christie, 40, faced six similar charges.

Both pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Yoganandha is the elder brother of "Datuk Kabi", whose real name is C. Kamaleshwaran, 29.

Earlier this month, Kamaleshwaran was charged with eight counts of cheating -- three in Balik Pulau, four in George Town and one in Butterworth magistrate's courts.

He also claimed trial to all the charges.

It is learnt that Kamaleshwaran and his family have been living lavishly in the Klang Valley by issuing cheques from a bank account that had been closed.

Yesterday, in the first Sessions Court Yoganandha was charged with eight counts and in the second court, three counts.

Deputy public prosecutor Geethan Ram Vincent said Yoganandha and Mercy were married according to customary rites.

He also said on Dec 1, 2006, Yoganandha was charged at the magistrate's court but the court subsequently granted him a discharge not amounting to acquittal on Jan 20, 2007, after he failed to show up on several occasions.

"He was also under restricted residence in Jeli, Kelantan, for three years from 2005 and had contravened the order three times."

Geethan proposed a bail of RM90,000 in one surety for Yoganandha and RM60,000 for Mercy.

In pleading for a lower amount, Yoganandha's counsel S. Narasimhan said his client had jumped bail earlier because he was wanted in several police stations in the country.

"Yoganandha is the sole breadwinner in his family and has two children aged six and two years old."

Narasimhan agreed with the prosecution that the couple had been living together for eight years.

However, Mercy's lawyer A.G. Kalidas said there was no legal marriage and added that they were not living together at present.

Judge Rosbiahanin Arifin granted Mercy RM50,000 bail in one surety and granted Yoganandha RM80,000 bail in one surety.

Rosbiahanin set Feb 13 for mention of the cases.

In the second court, judge Rozana Ali Yusoff granted Yoganandha RM30,000 bail in one surety for the three charges.

-- New Straits Times