KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): An auto spare parts company owner and four workers pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here on charges of cheating an auto spare parts supplier involving losses amounting to RM630,200 since March.

       Ng Chong Chai, 60, the owner of Syarikat Ban Heng Auto Part, and Lai Wei Kiat, 23, Lee Juan Sheng, 24, Leong Yue Long, 25, and Tan Wai Teck, 26, made the plea after the charges against them were read before Judge Kamarudin Kamsun on Friday (Oct 8).

       According to the charges, the five men were jointly accused of deceiving Syarikat Vanli Auto Spares Sdn Bhd by submitting a fake scheduled payment receipt (Interbank Giro) to the company.

       It was to give the impression that payment had been made which led Vanli Auto Spares to release the auto spare parts to Ban Heng Auto Part totalling RM630,200 in stages when the company (Vanli Auto) would not do so if they were not duped.

       The offence was committed in Jalan Ipoh here from March 8 to Aug 12 under Section 420 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Act, which carries a jail term of not less than one year and not exceeding 10 years, and whipping as well as liable to be fined if found guilty.

       Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulaaikha Mohd Apandi offered bail of RM200,000 for each accused while counsel Muhammad Amin Abdullah who is representing Ng, Lai, Lee and Tan while Johan Radzi, who is representing Leong, applied for lower bail as their clients could not afford and they need to support their respective families.

       The court allowed each accused bail of RM30,000 as well as the additional conditions to surrender their passports to the court and to report to a nearby police station every month and fixed Dec 2 for re-mention of the case.

       On Sept 28, the media reported a fly-by-night cheating syndicate which targeted auto spare parts suppliers and traders following the arrest of five men in a house in Kuantan, Pahang.

       According to Bukit Aman Commercial CID director, Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din, the suspects used the modus operandi of submitting fake Interbank Giro scheduled payment slips to gain the confidence of their victims. - Bernama