SEREMBAN: The Sessions Court here fixed July 12 for the next mention of a case involving two former directors of a company, including the son of a former minister, facing nine charges related to the sale and storage of government-subsidised cooking oil, which is a controlled item.
Judge Mazni Nawi fixed the date after Nasuha Badrul Din, counsel for one of the accused, Muhammad Faisal Hamzah, 39, told the court that her client wished to file a representation to the Attorney General regarding the charges.
"The case will be mentioned on July 12 to allow us to hear the outcome of the representation," said Mazni.
On April 5, Muhammad Faisal and another individual Azizul Abdul Halim, 55, claimed trial to the charges in the same court.
Muhammad Faisal is the son of current Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
The duo, as then directors of Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd, a licensed wholesaler of subsidised cooking oil, were first individually charged with violating Rule 9(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 for having more than the allowed 50 metric tonnes of the commodity in their business premises.
As directors, they had committed an offence punishable under Section 22(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, read together with Section 22(4) of the same legislation, and Section 34 of the Penal Code.
Offenders can be fined up to RM1mil and jailed for not more than three years or both upon conviction.
They allegedly committed the offence at their premises in the Sinar Andalas industrial area in Senawang at around 11.15pm on Aug 11 last year.
Rimba Merpati, as a company, was also charged with the same offence, and the duo, who represented it, again pleaded not guilty.
The offence carries a fine of up to RM2mil upon conviction.
Both Muhammad Faisal and Azizul were also charged with providing false information, documents and invoices with regard to the volume of subsidised cooking oil they had in possession and the sale of the commodity.
They were charged under Section 8(4)(b) of the Act and punishable under Section 22(1) of the same legislation, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
Offenders can be fined up to RM1mil and jailed for up to three years or both upon conviction.
The company was also charged with the same offence.
Again, as representatives of the company, the two accused claimed trial to all charges.
The offences were allegedly committed at about 5pm on Aug 12, 2022, at the state Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry office in Seremban 2.
Earlier, Nasuha told the court that her client was unable to attend proceedings as he was ill. She then handed over a medical certificate to the court.
Azizul was unrepresented.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Syazwani Zawawi then told the court that the relevant documents had been handed over to Azizul before proceedings began.
"We are also agreeable to hand over the documents to Muhammad Faisal's counsel today since he is not present provided counsel can give us an undertaking that he will receive them," she said.
Nasuha agreed to this.
