BUTTERWORTH, 29 April — A company involved in retail fuel sales was fined a total of RM130,000 by the Sessions Court today on four counts of providing false information on invoices and refusing to submit information relating to its diesel purchases.

Judge Nor Azah Kasran meted out the fine after the company, Profusion Petroleum Sdn Bhd, represented by its director, Lai Yong Keong, 47, pleaded guilty to all the charges.

The judge imposed a fine of RM85,000 for the first charge and RM15,000 for each of the remaining three charges.

For the first charge, Profusion Petroleum, as a licensed diesel wholesaler, was found to have knowingly submitted false information in response to an official request under Section 8 of the Control of Supplies Act. The false information was related to invoices or receipts for diesel purchases involving nine invoices.

The offence was committed at the office of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) in Seberang Jaya at 10.30 am on Feb 18, 2023.

The second to fourth charges involved the company’s refusal to submit financial documents, specifically bank statements covering the period from September 2022 to February 2023, as requested by supply control officers under the same law.

These offences were allegedly committed between Feb 18 and March 10, 2023, at the same location.

All charges were brought under Section 8(4)(b) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, which provides for a fine of up to RM2 million for a first offence and up to RM5 million for subsequent offences. upon conviction.

 The prosecution was conducted by KPDN prosecuting officer S. Preeya Darrsini, while lawyer Muhammad Syazwan Mohd Salleh represented Lai.

Lai had initially pleaded not guilty on March 8, 2024, to eight charges involving diesel-related offences, but changed his plea today. The prosecution subsequently withdrew four of the original charges, proceeding with only four against the company. — Bernama