SEREMBAN: Four men, including a Myanmar national, pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court here Tuesday (June 3) to misappropriating 1,200kg of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas last month.

Lee Kin Choong, 57; Lim Chun Wee, 38; Tang Kai Lin, 28, and Mar Thang, 31, made the plea before Judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam.

They were jointly charged with committing the offence with another person, Phaway Ai, 23, also a Myanmar national, but the charge was not read out to him on Tuesday because an interpreter was required.

They are jointly charged with possessing a scheduled controlled substance, namely liquefied petroleum gas, amounting to 1,200kg, in circumstances giving rise to reasonable suspicion under Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 at about 6.45pm at an unnumbered premises in Jalan Mantin, here on May 30.

The charge, under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides a maximum fine of RM1mil or imprisonment for up to three years upon conviction.

Judge Mohamad Kamil set bail at RM6,000 with one surety for the three local men, while bail for Mar Thang, who is a Myanmar national, was set at RM8,000 with one surety.

They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court, report at the Negeri Sembilan office of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry once a month and not intimidate witnesses.

The court set July 2 for mention.

Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry prosecuting officer Janawatul Fieza Hamisan appeared for the prosecution, while all the accused were unrepresented. - Bernama