SEREMBAN, Nov 16 — A company director and two workers on an oil tanker pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to charges of misappropriating more than 30,000 litres of diesel last Friday.

KIJ Global Sdn Bhd director Nazrulkamal Mohamad, 41, along with two others still at large, were charged with possession of 36,654 litres of diesel, which is a controlled item, in a condition that gave rise to reasonable suspicion of violating Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, which states that no person shall deal by wholesale or retail in any scheduled article without a licence.

They were charged under the Control of Supplies Act with committing the offence at Jeti Aquatred and Services Sdn Bhd, Kampung Tanjung Agas Workshop, Pasir Panjang Town, Port Dickson at about 9am last November 10.

As for the two tanker workers, Wong Chew Yuan, 61, and Indonesian, Warsito, 36, they were jointly charged with committing a similar offence at the same place and time.

The law provides a fine of up to RM1 million or imprisonment for up to three years or both, and a maximum fine of RM3 million or imprisonment for up to five years or both, for the second and subsequent offences, upon conviction.

Meanwhile, KIJ Global Sdn Bhd was also charged with a similar offence with the charge framed under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act which provides a maximum fine of RM2 million for the first offence and a fine of not more than RM5 million for the second or subsequent offence, if found guilty.

Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi allowed Nazrulkamal bail of RM25,000, while the bail for Wong and Warsito was set at RM15,000 with one surety each.

The court set December 18 for mention.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutors from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Mohd Sophian Zakaria and Nor Alimah Mohd Sanusi, while the three accused were unrepresented. — Bernama