By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, Oct 24: Four men have been brought to the Sessions Court here to face various charges in connection with electricity theft, including meter tampering and usage in cryptocurrency mining.
The four accused; Boon Ah Khoon, 51, Boon Tze Jen, 49, Sim Lei Yean, 41 and Jong Min Siong 47, pleaded not guilty to all the charges before Judge Steve Ritikos.
Sim is facing three charges, the first under Section 33(3) of the Electricity Ordinance, in which he was accused of tampering electricity meter that would likely to cause danger to a person or property.
The charge carries a five years’ jail term and with or without fine, upon conviction.
In the second count, he was charged under Section 33(7) of the same Ordinance. According to a brief facts of the case, Sim committed both offences at a residential house in Jalan Desa Bahagia, at about 12.50pm on Aug 27, 2018.
For the third count, Sim was charged with Jong under Section 33(5) of the same Ordinance for altering the electricity meter at the same place and time.
Section 33(5) provided a fine of RM100,000 or five years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
The two other accused, Ah Khoon, Tze Jen, are charged under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance.
Both of them were accused to have committed the offence on at an unmarked two-storey semi-detached industrial building, which purportedly houses a cold storage operation in Jalan Lutong-Kuala Baram, Senadin Enterprise Park, at 12.30pm on Oct 4, 2018.
The court set bail between RM1,000 and RM5,000 with one local surety to the four individuals.
The court has fixed Nov 1 for further mention of the case.
DPP Ronald Felix Hardin prosecuted. — DayakDaily
