KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Muhammad Faisal Hamzah, who is the son of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, was today charged in the Sessions Court with nine counts of violations in relation to the federal government’s list of controlled goods.

The Edge reported that Faisal, along with Azizul Abdul Halim, both being directors of Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd — a wholesale cooking oil licence holder — were charged with allegedly providing false information by producing fake invoices on the purported sale of subsidised cooking oil to a local retail company.

The violation is stipulated under Section 8(4) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.

Cooking oil is a controlled item under the Act.

According to the report, the invoices were deemed fake following a raid conducted on the company’s premises on August 12 last year.

The duo were also jointly charged by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living enforcement officers with possession of more than the limited amount of 50 metric tonnes of cooking oil on the company’s premises located in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan.

The said offence is a violation of Regulation 9(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, which is punishable under Section 22(2) of the Control of Supplies Act.

If they are convicted, they are liable to a fine up to RM2 million for the first offence, and a subsequent RM5 million fine for the second and subsequent offences.

Both claimed trial to the charges read to them on behalf of the company, and the charges read to them individually as its directors.

Sessions Court judge Mazni Nawi presided over the hearing.