PUTRAJAYA: The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives, and Consumerism Ministry is expected to charge 18 traders in court soon over elements of profiteering on a variety of items following the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Secretary-General Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad said.
He said the ministry had opened investigation papers into all the cases which would be sent to the Deputy Public Prosecutor's (DPP) office as early as next week to proceed with the charges.
He said the department, when conducting the 'Ops Catut' anti-profiteering operations, had caught traders in Melaka who deliberately raised the price of refrigerators after GST was imposed.
Without identifying the suspects, Alias cited one case where a refrigerator unit's price was raised from RM2,699 before GST came into effect to RM2,829 after.
"We strongly suspect there are elements of profiteering during our probes," he told a press conference on Ops Catut at the ministry headquarters, here, this afternoon.
Alias said all the 18 cases did not respond to the ministry's show-cause letter within three days of being caught committing the offence.
He said individuals faced up to RM100,000 fine while companies could be penalised up to RM500,000. They could also be sentenced to three years prison if convicted.
