FIVE CHARGED OVER POLLUTION DENIED BAIL
4 company directors and workshop manager enter not guilty plea
FOUR company directors and a workshop manager, who were charged with two counts in relation to the Sungai Gong pollution that led to water cuts affecting millions in the Klang Valley, will be spending time in jail awaiting trial.
This was after the Sessions Court denied them bail.
Brothers Yip Kok Wai, 53, Yip Kok Mun, 58, Yip Kok Kun, 50, and Yip Kok Weng, 60, who are the company directors, and Ho Voon Leong, 59, the workshop manager, who had been jointly charged earlier, pleaded not guilty before judge Syafeera Mohd Said.
On the first count, the five were charged with committing mischief by causing hazardous waste to flow from their workshop, Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd, into Sungai Gong knowing that it would cause cutbacks of water supply for human consumption.
The offence under Section 430 of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment term of not more than 30 years, or a fine, or both, if convicted.
On the second count, they were accused of discharging hazardous waste from the workshop into Sungai Gong without a licence.
The charge under Section 25(3) of the Environment Quality Act 1974 carries a fine of not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment of not more than five years, or both, if convicted.
The offences were allegedly committed on the premises of Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd, Lot 4219, Jalan Batu Arang, Kampung Sungai Dua, Rawang, Gombak, Selangor, between Sept 2 and 3.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad did not offer bail to all the accused, saying that it was a non-bailable offence.
He argued that the case had caused about six million people in the Klang Valley to experience water cuts for five days.
“Everyone has been discussing this issue and the top leadershipis also on it. This is the issue on the state of water in Selangor.
“People had to wait in long queues to get water. Is that not severe enough?”
Iskandar said if the court were to allow bail, the prosecution offered RM2 million for each of the accused.
Counsel Datuk M. Reza Hassan, who represented all the accused, pleaded for the court to allow bail, saying that all of them had fully cooperated during the investigations and even surrendered themselves to the authorities when the incident occurred.
Their other counsel, Abdul Rashid Ismail, in pleading for a RM100,000 bail, said his clients were older adults aged above 50, which made them more at risk of being infected by Covid-19.
“One of my clients has high blood pressure and another is diabetic.
“We are undergoing a pandemic and it would not be suitable for the court to deny bail for the accused based on these grounds.
They also have business interests to take care of.”
After hearing the submissions by both the prosecution and defence, Syafeera denied bail for all the accused.
The five accused, who were standing in the dock together, looked shocked and glanced at each other when the judge made the ruling.
Their case will come up for mention on Oct 27.