The accused is led to the court to face the charges.
SIBU: A logger who is allegedly involved in the Liberia timber employment cheating case was yesterday produced in a magistrate’s court here to face five charges of cheating.
However, Die Sing Kwong, 60, of Jalan Cherry denied all the charges which were read and explained to him in Foochow by an interpreter.
Deputy High Court Registrar Stella Augustine Druce ordered the case be fixed for further mention at a magistrate’s court in Kapit on March 21.
She allowed the accused, represented by Boston Ho, to be released on bail in the form of fixed deposit certificate of RM2,500 with two local sureties for each charge. She also directed that the accused’s passport be impounded.
Die faces five charges to having fraudulently induced Enyang Ato, Untol Luyang, Gawan Masin and Aji Surau in Sibu and Kapit between October and December last year, by offering them non-existent jobs with Malaysia Liberia Forestry Coporation (MLFC) in Liberia, and Tie Siew Heng, a supposedly business partner, whereby they would not have done so if they were not deceived by him.
In the first charge, Die is accused of fraudulently inducing Gawan via Wechat by offering a non-existent job as a supervisor with MLFC in Liberia, at Taman Bianwa in Kapit sometime in November last year.
The second charge stated that he, on December last year, at Pelajau in Kapit, cheated Aji by fraudulently inducing him through his cousin of offering a non-existent job as a lumberjack with MLFC in Liberia.
Thirdly, he was charged with having cheated Untol by fraudulently inducing him, through his cousin, to accept a non-existent job as a lumberjack at MLFC in Liberia, at Pelajau in Kapit in December last year.
Fourthly, he was charged with cheating Enyang at Jalan Selirik in Kapit in December last year by fraudulently inducing him, through his cousin, to accept a non-existent job as a lumberjack with MLFC in Liberia.
For the fifth charge, Die is accused of cheating Tie at Jalan Kangkong in Sibu in October last year by fraudulently inducing him to bear the expenses, including airfare, lodging and food for Gawan, Aji, Untol, Enyang and two others; the purchase of chainsaws and ripsaws and providing advance payment to Gawan, Aji, Untol, Enyang and two others. Tie was supposed to be his business partner in the Liberia timber deal.
The charges were read to Die by prosecuting officer Inspector Badrul Iskandar Selamat.
All the offences are listed under Section 415(b) of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 417 of the same code, which provides for a jail term of up to five years or a fine or both upon conviction.