KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Two traders pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Kubu Bharu Sessions Court today to possessing a scheduled controlled item, which is 9,820 kg of wholesale cooking oil, without a valid license three months ago.
Ng Soo Hua, 45, and Lum Teck Fong, 46, made the plea after the charges against them were read before Judge Siti Fatimah Talib.
They are charged together with six individuals who are accused of having in their control 9,820 kg of cooking oil, which are scheduled goods, in a situation which gave rise to reasonable suspicion of committing an offence under Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, for dealing with wholesale cooking oil without a license.
The duo are accused of committing the offence at an unnamed premises at Sri Pagi Trading Centre, Sungai Choh, at 6pm on August 2, under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, which is punishable under Section 22(1) of the same act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
The section provides for a maximum fine of RM1 million or imprisonment of up to three years or both, and for the second and subsequent offences, shall be fined not more than RM5 million or imprisonment of up to five years or both, if convicted.
The prosecution was handled by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sophian Zakaria and Nurul'Ain Shafie, while lawyer Datuk Wan Azmir Wan Majid represented the two accused.
The court allowed each accused to be bailed at RM8,000 with one surety and fixed December 14 for the case mention and the documents' submission.
— Bernama
