By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, July 30: A man was fined RM5,000 by the Sri Aman Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to smuggling eight subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks without a licence out of the State.
Judge A. Akhiruddin Acho also ordered John Telajan, 39, from Krian, Saratok to be imprisoned for five months if he failed to pay the fine.
John was charged with committing the offense on April 12, 2023, at around 4.55pm in Ulu Paku, Sungai Putong, Batu Lintang in Simanggang (Sri Aman).
The charge was made under Section 20(1)(a) of the Gas Supply Ordinance 2016, which carries the penalty of a fine not exceeding RM200,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both, upon conviction.
The case facts revealed that a team from the General Operations Force (PGA) Temudok apprehended John and seized a car carrying eight LPG tanks, each weighing 14 kilogrammes.
Police investigations also found that John was caught transporting the LPG cylinders using his car without any licence.
Earlier, before sentencing, John, who was not represented by a lawyer and has been working for a palm oil company in Indonesia since 2010, pleaded for a lenient sentence, citing his full cooperation during the investigation.
John also informed the court that he has two children, aged 12 and one, and an unemployed wife to support.
Meanwhile, it was understood that all confiscated items (the car and LPG cylinders) were ordered to be forfeited to the prosecution for disposal.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronald Felix Hardin and Prosecuting Officer Simon Engka Crown.
Also present during the proceedings were several officers from the Enforcement and Legal Division of the Sarawak Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication. — DayakDaily
