GEORGE TOWN, Oct 31 — A businessman from China, Wang De Qun, 58, told the High Court here today that he is not a wanted person for corporate crime in the republic.
He disagreed with lawyer Mohd Hisham Nazir, representing Penang National Registration Department (NRD) assistant director Mohd Faizul Arifin, 34, who said that it was because of his “wanted” status that he (Wang) had to lie and get a fake passport.
Wang was testifying in a deposition proceeding in the case of six individuals, including Mohd Faizul Arifin, who are facing charges related to the illegal issuance and sale of birth certificates and identity cards to foreigners.
The other five accused are Mohd Faizal Tan Abdullah, 66; Yap Cheng Wah, 43; Loh Chan Cheong, 34; Chien Guan Chai, 36, and businessman Datuk Lai Chin Wah, 56.
Wang also disagreed with the suggestion of lawyer Datuk Ranjit Singh Dhillon, representing Chien and Mohd Faizal, that he had pleaded guilty to possession of a forged passport and was sentenced to three months’ jail with a condition to cooperate with the police and be the key prosecution witness in this case.
The businessman, who will complete his jail time on November 13 this year, also disagreed with Ranjit Singh’s suggestion that there was a recording of Wang going into a lift and pressing to go to the third floor of a building, and that he went there alone after being told to go there during a meeting at a hotel.
Wang testified in Mandarin which was then translated by a court interpreter to the Malay language.
The proceedings were before judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir, who then fixed March 10 next year for case management to continue the trial.
Mohd Faizul, Mohd Faizal Tan, Yap, Loh and Chien had pleaded not guilty to two charges under Section 26E of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670), while Lai pleaded not guilty to three similar charges.
Mohd Faizul was charged with two counts of fraudulently issuing a birth certificate and an identity card under the name of Ewe Chor Beng to facilitate smuggling of a migrant at the Penang NRD Headquarters, Bangunan Persekutuan, Jalan Anson, here between January and February 2019.
Mohd Faizal Tan, Yap, Loh and Chien were charged with two counts each of selling the birth certificate and identity card under the same name (Ewe Chor Beng) in George Town area during the same period.
Lai was charged with three counts of selling a birth certificate, an identity card and a passport under the same name in George Town between January and March 2019.
Section 26E of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 provides for imprisonment of between seven and 15 years and a fine of not less than RM50,000, or both, on conviction. — Bernama
