KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Alam Maritim Resources Bhd group managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Azmi Ahmad was charged in the Sessions Court here today on two charges of fraud relating to the daily charter rate of a vessel.

Azmi, 67, however, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.

"Understand (the charges), I plead not guilty and request to be tried,” he said after the charges against him were read out one by one.

According to the first charge, Azmi is charged with defrauding TH Alam Management Sdn Bhd principal officer Iskandar Mohd Zaffa, 48, by concealing the actual offer of Daily Charter Rate dated August 24, 2023 which allocated RM80,500 per day in the Work Order.

The act allegedly prompted Iskandar to agree to sign the BIMCO Supplytime 2017 with a Daily Charter Rate of RM70,000 per day between Alam-JV DP2 (L) Inc. and Alam Maritim (M) Sdn Bhd.

For the second charge, he is charged with defrauding the same individual by concealing the actual Daily Charter Rate offer dated 15 Jan 2024 which allocated a total of RM110,000 per day in the Work Order, thus prompting the man to sign BIMCO Supplytime 2017 with a Daily Charter Rate, RM78,000 per day between TH-Alam Management and Alam Maritim.

The offence was allegedly committed at a building in Jalan Radin Anum, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling here on Sept 6 2023 and Jan 16 2024, under Section 417 of the Penal Code (Act 574) which provides for a maximum imprisonment of five years or a fine or both, if convicted.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Syazwani Mohammad Sobry offered bail of RM500,000 with one surety, with additional conditions that the accused must report to the Putrajaya MACC office every three months and is prohibited from interfering with prosecution witnesses until the case is resolved.

However, lawyer Wan Muhd Ariff Ameer Wan Normazlan, who represented Azmi, requested that the bail be reduced to RM100,000 because the amount offered was too high and that his client had cooperated well throughout the investigation.

"The purpose of the bail is to ensure that my client attends court. My client has a wife and six children, the youngest of whom is six years old, and the accused also has health problems that require examination,” he said.

Wan Muhd Ariff Ameer also requested that the passport taken by the MACC be returned to the accused because his client is not at risk of fleeing.

Suzana then allowed the accused to be granted bail of RM300,000 with one surety, with additional conditions as requested by the prosecution.

The court has set Nov 18 for mention of the case for submission of documents. — Bernama