KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has issued an arrest warrant for Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid, the former director-general of the Malaysia External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO), according to Bernama.

The arrest warrant was issued after she failed to appear in court for case management proceedings on Friday (May 24), the national news agency tweeted.

Hasanah was charged last October with criminal breach of trust involving RM50.4mil belonging to the government.

She was charged in her capacity as a civil servant with committing the offence at the office of the director-general, Research Division, Prime Minister’s Department, Putrajaya, between April 30 and May 9, 2018.

The charge, under Section 409 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping and fine, upon conviction.