ALOR STAR: The owner of a Penang-based shipping company and two vessel captains from Indonesia today claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to separate charges of unlawful possession 50,000 litres of subsidised diesel and illegal dealing of the controlled item near the waters of Pulau Bidan here in August.
Abu Bakar Ramli, 63, the owner of Prai Petroleum Enterprise is charged with unlawful possession of the controlled item in MT Victory Star 1 vessel.
He is alleged to have committed the offence at about 10.9 nautical miles from the southwest of Pulau Bidan waters here about 5.39pm on Aug 21, 2014.
Abu Bakar also claimed trial to a charge of dealing the controlled item with MT Moresby 9 vessel without a license at the same time, date and location.
He is charged under Section 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1974 which carries a fine up to RM100,000 or three years jail term or both upon conviction.
The captain of MT Victory Star 1 vessel, 39-year-old Indonesia national Wibowo, also claimed trial to the two same charges.
Meanwhile another Indonesia national, Paulus Matualaga, the captain of a Singapore-registered MT Moresby 9 vessel, claimed trial to a charge of conspiring with the two accused in dealing with the 50,000 litres of subsidised diesel at the same date and location.
Judge Mohammad Khalid Ab Karim granted a RM14,000 bail for Abu Bakar and RM10,000 each for Wibowo and Paulus each, and fixed January 26, 2015 for mention.
Deputy Public Prosecutor from Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Safarizam Zakaria prosecuted while lawyer K. Subramaniam represented all the three accused.
