THAI NATIONAL PLEADS NOT GUILTY FOR DIESEL ABUSE

ALOR SETAR, July 16 (Bernama) --  A Thai national pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court, here today to a charge of siphoning of 322 litres of diesel, last week.

The accused, Witthaya Choochien, 29, who is a lorry driver made the plea after the charge against him was read out in Thai before Judge Noor Zaihan Mohamad Ali.

The accused was charged with possessing the controlled substance which is 322 litres of unlicensed diesel in an extra tank of a lorry with a Thai registration number at a premises in Bukit Kayu Hitam Industrial Area, at approximately 6.05 am on July 11.

For the offence, the man has violated Rule 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 which is an offence under Section 21, the Supply Control Act 1961 and can be punished under Section 22(1) of the same act.

If convicted, one can be fined not more than RM1 million or imprisoned for a period not exceeding three years or both.

Before that, the prosecuting officer of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Siti Nurdinasafira Mohd Sakri asked the court to impose a bail of RM15,000 on the accused.

However, a National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer, Lim Wei Yong, who represented the accused, requested a minimum amount of bail as his client has to support a wife and two young children.

The court then set bail of RM10,000 with two local sureties and set Sept 9 as the submission date for the chemical report.

-- BERNAMA