MARINE Department director-general Captain Mohamad Halim Ahmed was charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court today with cheating his predecessor into issuing exemption letters for shipping companies four years ago.

Reports in The New Straits Times stated the letters were to allow the companies to bring heavy-grade oil into Malaysian waters without the approval of the transport minister.

Halim, 57, said he understood the charge and pleaded not guilty before Judge Anita Harun.

The accused, who was the transport ministry’s maritime division secretary at the time of the offence, had allegedly deceived Baharin Abdul Hamid, the then department’s DG.

He had done so by presenting a letter from the ministry dated 27th October 2020, which stated: “YB Transport Minister, on 22nd October 2020, had decided that the period for shipping companies, which had been given an exemption to bring heavy grade oil in Malaysian waters, needed to be maintained by the date that had been approved.”

However, there was no such approval and it led to Baharin issuing the exemption letters to the shipping companies involved, which he would not have done if he had not been deceived in that way.

Halim is alleged to have committed the offence at the marine department headquarters in Port Klang on 27th October 2020.

The charge was framed under Section 417 of the Penal Code and carries a maximum five-year jail term, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Feisal Mohd Azmi urged the court to set bail at between RM50,000 and RM70,000 with one surety.

The court then set bail at RM20,000 with one surety and ordered Halim to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s office in Selangor once a month.

The judge fixed 7th October for mention and also ordered the accused to surrender his passport until the disposal of the case.

The accused was represented by Farhan Read, while Feisal was assisted by deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin. – August 1, 2024.