Man pleads not guilty to possessing 85 pangolins

ALOR SETAR: A 37-year-old claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to four charges of possessing 85 pangolins without a valid permit and harming the endangered animals.

Lim Choon Beng pleaded not guilty to committing the offence with two others still at large at a house in Changlun on Nov 7 when the charges were read to him before Sessions Court judge Azman Abu Hassan on Tuesday (Nov 14).

He was accused of having possessed 16 pangolins along with the two still at large, an offence under Section 68 (1)(a) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Lim and the two others were also charged with possessing another 41 pangolins without a valid permit, an offence under Section 69(1) of the same Act.

The three were also charged with possessing 28 female pangolins, an offence under Section 70(1) of the same Act.

For the fourth charge, Lim and the two others were charged under Section 86(1)(c) of the Act with intentionally causing harm to the 85 pangolins by tying them up in a netted plastic sack.

In submissions for bail, Wildlife Department prosecution officer Mohamad Rafaee Abdul Hamid proposed bail of RM65,000 for all four charges.

However, Lim's counsel G Ravishankar asked for a lesser bail, saying that his client is currently unemployed and supporting two young children.

Judge Azman allowed bail at RM40,000 with one surety and fixed Dec 11 for submission of documents and re-mention.