KUALA TERENGGANU: Three logistics company owners, were among nine individuals, charged at the Sessions Court here today for the illegal possession of 34,740.44 litres of diesel for retail or wholesale purposes, without a licence last year.
The company owners, Hasdi Mustapa, 43, Hirool Farihan Hussin, 41, and Abd Mukmin A. Razak, 36, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Judge Mohd Zul Zakiqudin Zulkifli.
Also pleading not guilty and claiming trial were Azni Zabar, Mohd Luqman Ramli, Hazrul Azly Mustapa, Mohamad Saufi Abdull Ghapa, Mohd Rozi Mohd Zain, and Che Harun Mat Jusoh, aged between 29 and 63.
Hasdi, Hirool Farihan, and Abd Mukmin, the owners of HMH Truck, are accused of possessing 29,070 litres of diesel, a controlled and scheduled item, which was stored in a semi-trailer tank in Kampung Cacar, Paka, Dungun, on July 6, 2023.
They are charged under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, which carries a fine of not more than RM1 million, imprisonment for up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, the other six individuals are charged under the same section for allegedly possessing 5,669.66 litres of diesel, stored in vehicle tanks and additional plastic tanks at two petrol stations in the Paka area on the same date.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Mohd I’zzat Wan Abdullah proposed bail ranging from RM20,000 to RM35,000 for all the accused, stating they should be sentenced appropriately, as the offense was serious and involved public interest.
“A fine of RM1 million under Section 22(1) is also the third amendment. I believe this reflects Parliament’s intention to emphasise the seriousness of this offence. Additionally, the issue of diesel leakage has forced the government to target subsidies. Therefore, I request a severe sentence for the accused,“ he said.
Meanwhile, lawyers Mohamad Zaiful Bahrin Kamde and Mohd Aiman Ariff Mohd Zaida, representing the accused, requested a lower bail due to their clients’ financial situation, while assuring the court they did not pose a flight risk.
Zul Zaqikudin then granted bail between RM3,000 and RM8,000 for each accused and prohibited them from tampering with prosecution witnesses. The case is scheduled for mention on Dec 18.
