Two deny fake GST claims of rM945,123

Fraud case said to be country’s first

IPOH: In what is said to be the first such case in the country, two men have claimed trial to 12 counts of making fraudulent claims on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) totalling RM945,123.

Businessmen Mok Siew Khuen and Ahmad Zawawi Abdul Rahim, both 49, were charged with five and seven counts respectively under Section 89 (1)(b) of the GST Act 2014 at the Sessions Court here yesterday.

According to the charge sheets, Mok was said to have tried to make false statements in the GST-03 tax returns with the intention to obtain credit for tax input against tax output at the state Customs headquarters here between January and May.

The total amount that he tried to claim was RM356,314 while Ahmad Zawawi was alleged to have tried to get RM588,808 between September 2015 and May this year.

For the first offence, they could be fined a maximum of 20 times the tax amount or jailed up to five years or both.

For the second and subsequent offences, they could be fined up to 40 times the tax amount or given a maximum seven-year jail term or both.

Judge Ikmal Hishan Mohd Tajuddin set bail at RM500,000 with one surety for Mok and RM700,000 for Ahmad Zawawi.

He also ordered the passports of both men to be seized and set Sept 30 for mention. Customs deputy public prosecutor Datuk Rozela Raja Toran prosecuted.

Mok was represented by N.P. Ramachandran while Awatif Ahmad Bashir acted for Ahmad Zawawi.

Ramachandran said Awatif would file an appeal at the High Court to lower the bail amount.

The GST came into force in the country on April 1, 2015.