KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — An owner of a subsidised cooking oil supplier and packaging company and his assistant were charged in the Sessions Court here today to 28 counts of submitting false claims amounting to RM618,058.80, two years ago.
However, Eng Wing Kuang, 52, and his assistant, Choy Lee See, 51, pleaded not guilty after the charges against them were read before Judge Azura Alwi.
The duo were jointly charged with providing 28 sets of Financial Payment Claim to Pure Palm Cooking Oil Refinery/Packaging Plant statement documents containing false information for the period between Feb 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020 to Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) personnel Normawati Osman.
The claims contained false information, namely receipts related to the supply of cooking oil to retailers by Nurfirman Sdn Bhd amounting to RM1,527,807.40, which both accused knew RM618,058.80 of the total claim was false.
All the offences were alleged to have been committed at the Domestic Trade Division of KPDNHEP in Putrajaya between Feb 22, 2019 and May 14, 2020, under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code (Act 574), punishable under Section 24 of the MACC Act.
If convicted, both of them can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the false claims submitted or RM10,000 whichever is higher.
Earlier, prosecuting officer from MACC Kamariah Seman offered both accused bail of RM100,000 with one surety each with the additional conditions that their passports be handed over to the court until completion of the case.
Eng and Choy were allowed bail of RM50,000 and RM30,000 respectively with one surety and the court set April 21 for mention of the case. — Bernama