JOHOR BARU: A 39-year-old contractor pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to using a fake document to obtain a government tender to repair a bridge in Yong Peng.
Mohd Izwan Mohd Ali (pic) is accused of intentionally using a false document as a genuine one at the Yong Peng district council in Batu Pahat on April 27, 2021.
According to the charge sheet, Mohd Izwan allegedly used a company name to submit a fake document in the form of a Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) special permission in order to participate in a tender for the project.
The document was allegedly used to obtain a tender for repairing a bridge in Jalan Kampung Paya, Yong Peng, where the accused was apparently aware of its falsification when submitting it to the district council.
The offence was framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 465 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine or both, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Faizul Kamarozaman offered bail at RM10,000, with one surety.
Lawyer Siti Nadia Yahya asked for the bail to be lowered to RM5,000, as her client does not have a fixed income and he has to care for his wife and four children, aged six to 12 years old.
Judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail allowed bail at RM7,000 and set June 19 for next mention and submission of documents.
Meanwhile, in a separate courtroom, a 26-year-old food seller claimed trial to a charge of driving recklessly against traffic along KM4 Jalan Gelang Patah-Ulu Choh here at around 9am on May 9.
S. Thaanesh pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which is punishable with a sentence of five to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of RM5,000 to RM15,000, upon conviction.
DPP Amirah Tasnim Saleh offered bail at RM15,000 with one surety and asked for additional conditions on Thaanesh, such as reporting to the local police station monthly, surrendering his passport to the court and a suspension of his driving licence.
Lawyer S. Selvanteran requested for lower bail, saying that the accused has to care for his mother, a single parent who had suffered a stroke and has heart problems.
Magistrate Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid allowed bail at RM6,000 with one surety and imposed the prosecution’s additional conditions.
The court also set June 20 for next mention and submission of documents.
Previously, a video of a red car dramatically wedged between two lorries made rounds on social media.
Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan reportedly said the driver is believed to have entered the wrong lane while on his way to a nearby petrol station.
He added that the driver had driven against traffic for 500m before getting trapped between the two heavy vehicles.
