ALOR STAR – A gynaecologist at a private hospital here pleaded not guilty in the sessions court here today to three counts of fraud, involving forging of birth registration forms to facilitate human trafficking between January 2014 and February this year.
Dr Yeoh Gim Hooi, 51, made the plea after the charges were read out to him separately before judges Murtazadi Amran and Juraidah Abbas.
In the court before Murtazadi, Yeoh was charged with two counts of falsifying the birth registration forms for two babies to facilitate human trafficking.
The offence was allegedly committed at Putra Medical Centre here at about 3pm on February 24 this year and at about 6.55pm on September 19 last year.
The charges were made under Section 18 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which provides an imprisonment for up to 10 years, and a maximum fine of RM500,000, if found guilty.
Murtazadi allowed Yeoh bail of RM15,000 with one surety on each count.
On the third charge, read out before Juraidah, Yeoh was jointly charged with married couple Yap Kok Leong, 59, and his wife, Sai a/p Chom, 52, with forging a birth registration form for a baby for the purpose of cheating.
All of them pleaded not guilty to the charge.
They were charged with committing the offence, framed under Section 468 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same law, at the same medical centre at 7.24pm on January 22, 2014.
They face imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine if found guilty.
Juraidah allowed the three of them bail of RM8,000 with one surety each.
Earlier, the married couple was charged before Murtazadi with two counts of human trafficking for purpose of exploitation by unlawful transfer of custody of two babies, an offence under Section 48 of the Child Act 2001.
On the first count, Yap and his wife were charged with committing the offence with a three-month old baby at No 2-C, Alor Janggus here at about 7pm on February 28 this year, while the second count involved a four-day-old baby at the Seong Kheng Aum Temple here at 6.45pm on September 22.
Murtazadi allowed the couple bail of RM18,000 with one surety each.
All the cases are set for mention on January 5.
Perlis prosecution director Mohd Nordin Ismail prosecuted in all cases, while lawyers Burhanudeen Abdul Wahid and Eng Yuh Pei represented Yeoh and the married couple respectively. – Bernama, December 3, 2020
