Kota Kinabalu: A 36-year-old man was fined RM15,000 in default two months’ jail for having 6,250 litres of diesel without a licence.
Mohd Mazlan Emarula pleaded guilty to the charge against him, Wednesday.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus ordered the money from the diesel sales of RM13,437.50 to be forfeited by the government while the vehicle to be returned to the rightful owner.
Mohd Mazlan was found having the controlled goods without any permit in three lorry tanks at 4am on May 19, 2023 at the palm oil station in Minintod, Penampang.
The offence under Section 21 of the Supply Control Act 1961 and punishable under Section 22(1) of the same Act carries a fine of up to RM1million, or a jail term of up to three years, or both, on conviction.
During mitigation, Mohd Mazlan who was not represented, asked for a light sentence saying that he is currently unemployed and that he needed to support his family.
He also asked for proceed of the diesel sales to be given back to him.
However, Prosecuting Officers Hermady Jess Tunai and Kenny Jaikol, from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence.
When asked by the court about the three tanks, Mohd Mazlan said he rented it to supply diesel to farms but did not have a licence.
