BUTTERWORTH: Two Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) employees pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today on a breach of trust charge involving the loss of Thai white rice stocks worth RM1.107 million.
Khairie Mohd Noor, 32, and Mohamad Taufik Akman, 26, made the plea after the charges against them were read before judge Mohd Yunus Noorhayati.
According to the charge, Taufik, Bernas’ operations administrative assistant, and Khairie, stock clerk, have misappropriated 515,050.56kg of Thai white rice worth RM1.107 million belonging to Bernas.
The offences took place at Bernas, No. 331, Mukim 1, Solok Perusahaan 4, Prai Industrial Area here, on 9 August 2016 to 9 March, 2017.
They were charged under Section 408 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of up to 14 years and a fine, if convicted.
Meanwhile in the same court, truck driver C. Ramanathan, 56, was charged with abetting the two accused for criminal breach of trust on the same date and place.
Ramanathan was charged under Section 408 of the Penal Code, read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years or with fine or both.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Azrul Abdul Rahman, who prosecuted the case, requested RM500,000 bail for each accused with one surety as the value of loss in this case was large.
Lawyers Ahmad Rizal Abdul Hamid and Chong Seng Thing who represented Khairie and Taufik requested the bail to be lower as both the accused are sole breadwinners in their respective families.
Ramanathan was not represented.
Mohd Yunus allowed bail to be set at RM50,000 with one surety for each of the accused and set 21 Aug for mention of the case.