Couple pleads not guity to making false GST refund claims

IPOH: A married couple pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here yesterday to 11 counts of making fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund claim, amounting to more than RM700,000 since two years ago.

Businessman Loo Peng Wah, 50, and his wife, Ng Lee Foon, 45, made the not guilty plea after the charges were read separately to them in Cantonese before judge S. Indra Nehru. Loo was charged with seven counts of making false claims in the GST-03 statement, amounting RM478,715, between October 2015 and April 2016, while his wife faced four similar charges, involving RM267,123, allegedly committed between January and May 2016.

They were alleged to have committed the offences at Ipoh Station, Malaysian Royal Customs Department, No 1, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, here.

The charge, under Section 89(1)(b) of the GST Act 2016, provides a fine of up to 20 times the amount of tax, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, for the first offence, and a fine of up to 40 times the amount of tax, or up to seven years imprisonment, or both, for the second and subsequent offence, if found guilty.

The prosecution was conducted by Customs prosecuting officer S. Thanaganatchya, while the couple was represented by lawyer Awtar Singh. Indra Nehru allowed Loo bail of RM140,000 for all seven charges, while Ng’s bail was set at RM80,000 for all four charges in one surety each.

The couple was also ordered to surrender their passport to the court and to also report themselves at the nearest Customs office every month.

The court set Oct 4 for mention. - Bernama