THE High Court in George Town today set five days, beginning April 6, 2020, to hear the case of a Penang National Registration Department (NRD) assistant director and five others facing 13 charges in connection with the issuance and sale of illegal birth certificates and identity cards to foreigners.

The date was fixed after allowing the prosecution’s request for all the accused to be tried together on the ground that the charges against them involved the same transaction and subject.

The court also set October 29 to 31 for the deposition of a Chinese national, who is the key prosecution witness in the case.

Earlier, Penang NRD assistant director Mohd Faizul Arifin, 34; Mohd Faizal Tan Abdullah, 66, Yap Cheng Wah, 43; Loh Chan Cheong, 34, and Chien Guan Chai, 36, all pleaded not guilty to two charges under Section 26E of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, while a businessman, Lai Chin Wah, 56, pleaded not guilty to three similar charges.

The charges against Mohd Faizul were for fraudulently issuing birth certificates and identity cards under the name of Ewe Chor Beng to facilitate smuggling of migrants at the Penang NRD Headquarters, Bangunan Persekutuan, Jalan Anson, George Town between January and February 2019.

Mohd Faizal Tan, Yap, Loh and Chien were charged with two counts each of selling birth certificates and identity cards under the same name (Ewe Chor Beng) in the George Town area during the same period.

Lai was charged with three counts of selling the birth certificates, identity cards and passports under the same name in George Town between January and March 2019.

The penalty for these offences could be imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine of not less than RM50,000, or both, if found guilty.

The charges were read out to them separately in two courts, before Judge Akhtar Tahir and Judicial Commissioner Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid, respectively.

Both courts set October 10 to mention the case for submission of documents.

Five of the accused, except Mohd Faizal Tan, were also brought to the Sessions Court for charges of falsifying multiple birth certificates and identity cards.

Their case came up before judges Norsalha Hamzah and Mazdi Abdul Hamid, with both courts setting October 14 for case management.

The court also set the same date for mention of Mohd Faizul’s five charges under Rule 25 (1)(i) of the National Registration Regulations 1990 for issuing identity cards under the name of Tan Xiu Xiu, Lim Hock Eng, Ewe Chor Beng, Yang Xiaohong and Pheh Jin Leong at Penang NRD headquarters between September 20, 2018 and May 3, 2019.

He faces imprisonment for up to three years or fine of up to RM20,000, or both, if found guilty.

On September 12, the five defendants pleaded not guilty to 14 charges under Section 466 of the Penal Code for falsifying multiple birth certificates and identity cards.

The offence is punishable by imprisonment for up to seven years and a fine, if found guilty.

The prosecution team is led by Penang chief prosecutor Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim, who is assisted by deputy public prosecutors Mohd Amril Johari, Noor Azura Zulkiflee, Farah Aimy Zainul Anwar, Yazid Mustaqim Roslan and Shafiq Sazali. – Bernama, October 3, 2019.