KUANTAN: A fishing equipment trader was fined RM300,000 by the Sessions Court here today after he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of 96,542 litres of subsidised diesel last year.
Judge Maimoonah Aid ordered Eng Ching Huang, 36, to serve 12 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
Eng made the plea after the charge was read out by a court translator in Mandarin before Maimoonah.
According to the charge sheet, the accused was found in possession of 96,542 litres of subsidised diesel in a questionable state, violating Regulation 3 (1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 for dealing with scheduled controlled goods wholesale or retail without a licence.
The offence was committed in Lorong Industri Tanah Putih Baru about 4pm on March 8 last year.
The charge under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122) is punishable under Section 22 (1) of the same act, which carries a fine not exceeding RM1 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both upon conviction.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry's deputy public prosecutor Syamsul Kahar Ahmad Nadri and prosecuting officer Noor Baizura Masori prosecuted, while Eng was unrepresented.
In mitigation, Eng, through the court translator, pleaded for a light sentence, saying he earned RM2,000 monthly and was taking care of his ailing parents, who required treatment at the hospital.
Syamsul Kahar pressed for a deterrent sentence, saying the subsidised diesel was found in storage tanks inside a premises owned by the accused and is believed to have been sold in the black market for lucrative returns.
"Although the offence did not involve any victims or cause any injuries, his (Eng) action is serious as it has resulted in a negative impact on the country's financial position.
"The sentence should not only serve as a lesson for the accused to repent but also instil fear among potential offenders to commit a similar act," he said.
Maimoonah fined Eng RM300,000, in default of 12 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
