JOHOR BARU – A company and two individuals linked to a meat cartel case in December last year were charged in the sessions court here today with seven counts each under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.
LY Frozen Food Sdn Bhd manager Chong Kim Kuang, 48, and director Yong Chee Keong, 40, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges, which were read out separately before judge Ahmad Fuad Othman.
Yong, in his capacity as director, also pleaded not guilty to the seven counts filed against the company.
According to the charge sheet, the two accused, along with the company and another director who is still at large – Tan Siew Huak, 42 – were charged with using fake trade descriptions with regard to the halal logos of the Islamic Co-ordinating Council of Victoria and Perth Mosque Incorporated on 3,418 boxes containing frozen food.
All of them were also charged with offering the products for sale using the labels of GBP Australia Pty Ltd and Ararat Meat Exports Pty Ltd with the Australian halal logo to indicate that the food can be consumed by Muslims, in a manner contrary to Paragraph 4 (1) of the Trade Description (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011.
They were also charged with possession of the goods using fake trade descriptions without the approval of GBP Australia Pty Ltd and Ararat Meat Exports Pty Ltd.
All the offences are alleged to have been committed at a location in Taman Perindustrian Desa Idaman, Senai, on December 1 last year at about 3.30pm.
They were charged under Sections 5 (1)(a) and 5 (1)(c) of the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, as well as the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Halal Marking) Order 2011.
If convicted, they can be fined not more than RM100,000, or jailed for not more than three years, or both.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Mohammad Onn Abd Aziz, Kwan Li Sa, Syazwani Zawawi, T. Ashivinii and Kee Shu Min while the accused were represented by lawyers Zamri Idrus, Yusman Che Aman and Saiful Zaman Abd. Rahman.
The court set bail for each of the accused at RM250,000 in one surety, and ordered them to hand over their passports to the court and report themselves to the Kulai police headquarters every two weeks.
The case is set for mention on March 28. – Bernama, February 9, 2021
