KUALA TERENGGANU: A security company and its four directors were charged in the Sessions Court, here, today, with seven counts of failing to pay service tax, amounting to RM186,909.08, including penalties, over a period from 2021 to 2024.
Syarikat Perisai Sepadu Security Sdn Bhd and its directors - Mohd Yusoff Yunus, 64, his daughter Mira Nabihah, 29, and Ahmad Afwan Mazlan, 27 - pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read out separately before Judge, Mohd Zul Zakiqudin Zulkifli.
Lawyer Azrul Alias, representing all accused, informed the court that another accused, Marini Najihah, 24, who is also Yusoff’s daughter, was unable to attend Wednesday’s (Jan 8) proceedings as she was sitting for an examination at an institution of higher learning.
According to the charges, the defendants allegedly failed to pay service tax to the director-general of Customs for various taxable periods. These included RM22,603.30 for the period from July 1, 2021, to Aug 31, 2021; RM14,656.21 from Nov 1, 2021, to Dec 31, 2021; and RM20,576.47 from March 1, 2022, to April 30, 2022.
The accused are also registered taxable persons under the Service Tax Act 2018 (Act 807), who failed to remit tax amounts of RM16,213.48, RM16,611.70, RM21,561.30, and RM21,284.03 for subsequent taxable periods: Nov 1, 2022, to Dec 31, 2022; Sept 1, 2023, to Oct 31, 2023; Nov 1, 2023, to Dec 31, 2023; and Jan 1, 2024, to Feb 29, 2024, respectively.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department Terengganu branch office, between Oct 1, 2021, and April 2, 2024.
The charges are framed under Section 26(8) of the Service Tax Act 2018, which carries a penalty of a fine up to RM50,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
Additionally, under Section 26(10) and Section 69(1) of the same law, the accused are required to pay a penalty amounting to RM53,402.59.
Prosecuting officers, Nur Zahidah Razali and Mohd Izwan Ismail, proposed bail at RM5,000 for each charge in one surety. However, Azrul appealed for a lower bail amount on financial grounds.
The court allowed bail at RM1,000 for each charge, and fixed Feb 17 for the submission of documents and the attendance of Marini Najihah.- Bernama
