Businessman pleads not guilty to cheating four into going to Liberia

SIBU: A businessman has been released on bail of RM12,500 in two sureties by the Magistrate's Court here after he pleaded not guilty to five charges of  cheating on Tuesday (March 12).

The accused, Die Sing Kwong, 60, was slapped with five charges under Section 417 of the Penal Code.

The offence carries a jail sentence of up to five year’s jail or fine or both upon conviction.

The charges were for cheating four persons, Gawan Masin 40, Aji Surau, 39,  Enyang Ato, 66, and Untol Luyang, 58 into working as lumberjacks in a logging camp in Liberia with a high salary of RM8,000 per month.

The offences were allegedly committed between November and December 2018 in Kapit.

Die was also charged under the same offence for cheating his partner, Tie Siew Heng, 53, by fraudulently inducing him to bear the expenses of the four persons, which included airfare, lodging, food and an advance of RM2,000 each as well as the purchase of a chainsaw and a ripping saw.

Tie was arrested by the police together with the accused on March 5.

After four days of remand, he (Tie) was released on police bail.

Magistrate Stella Augustine Druce ordered the case be transferred to Kapit Magistrate's Court  for case management on March 21, 2019, as the incident took place there.

She also ordered the accused's passport be impounded.

Defence counsel Boston Ho clarified that only four workers were involved in the case instead of eight.

"There are only five charges. News reports that there were eight complainants are incorrect. Of the five charges, only four are workers and the other is actually a partner of the defendant," he said.

In his police report, Gawan alleged that sometime in December last year, he received a message in his WeChat application from a man who offered him work at

a logging camp in Liberia.

He was told by the man that he would process his working permit, a salary of up to RM8,000 a month, free food and drink while his air ticket to Liberia would be the responsibility of the company there.

The four victims agreed to the offer and had met a man to arrange for their visa and air ticket to Liberia.

On Jan 3, they were accompanied by a man (Tie) to Liberia and when they arrived there, another man brought them to a village in Mount Barclay.

However, after one month there, they found that there was still no job for them to do.

Inspector Badrul Iskandar prosecuted the case.