Skipper and directors charged over illegal diesel storage

JOHOR BARU: Two company directors and a ship captain were brought to the Sessions Court here over charges of illegally storing 190,857 litres of subsidised diesel.

Their company, Syarikat Zone Artic Sdn Bhd, which offers bunkering services in Pasir Gudang, was charged with storing the controlled item without permission in the vessel MT Star Sapphire in the waters off Tanjung Piai in Pontian at about 11am on Aug 22.

Director Tew Sing Yaw, 46, representing the Johor-based company, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin.

Tew was charged with fellow director Sahid Ammum, 50, and Indonesian captain Edward Lorwens, 36.

All three claimed trial to the charge under Section 21 of the Supply Control Act and punishable under Section 22 of the same Act.

Judge Muhammad Jamil set Tew’s bail at RM60,000 with one surety for the case against the company and another RM60,000 with one surety for his own case.

The judge set bail at RM50,000 with one surety in Sahid’s case.

Both directors were ordered to report to the police station before or on the seventh of each month.

Muhammad Jamil ruled that Lorwens had to surrender his passport to the court and be confined to the ship.

Setting bail at RM100,000 for the captain, the judge said he was not allowed to leave the vessel and must report to the Pasir Gudang police station every two weeks.

Muhammad Jamil set Nov 26 for re-mention of the case. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry prosecutor Alison Chan prosecuted while the accused were represented by Aziz Shukor.

This is the second major court case in the state in two weeks involving alleged diesel smuggling.

Three company directors and an employee pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here last month to a charge of illegally storing RM3.7mil worth of subsidised diesel.

Harbour Talent Sdn Bhd and the personnel were accused of illegally storing 163,460 litres of diesel on a ship at a private jetty in Kampung Tanjung Belungkor, Pengerang here on June 6.