Three people charged with cheating, involving millions of ringgit, in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) development project, were today offered alternatives charges by the prosecution.

A former project manager of Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), Law Jenn Dong, 52, architect Bernard Tan Seng Swee, 49, of BTA Architect, and KDSB chief operating officer Stephen Abok, 52, however pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to the amended charge, involving 24 counts of cheating OSK Trustees Bhd for payment of RM116.85 million to KDSB for two projects at PKFZ.

The offences, under Section 420 of the Penal Code, was allegedly committed at OSK Trustees Bhd, Plaza OSK, Ampang, between June 30, 2006 and June 20, 2008.

If found guilty, they could be jailed up to 29 years and whipping, and fine.

The three men are charged with cheating and dishonestly inducing OSK Trustees to believe that the electrical infrastructure works of a 33kv system for PKFZ, Pulau Indah, had been implemented when they knew it was not.

Law, Stephen and Tan are also charged with cheating OSK Trustees into believing that the 33kv system to Precinct 2 and Precinct 8 for the PKFZ project had been implemented when they knew that it was not.

The action had prompted OSK Trustees to make payment totalling RM116.85 million.

Apart from that, Stephen and Tan also pleaded not guilty two other alternate charges with cheating OSK Trustees by dishonestly inducing OSK Trustees into believing that the 33kv system to Precinct 2 and Precinct 8 for the PKFZ project had been implemented and this had prompted OSK Trustees to make payment of RM5.42 million to KDSB.

Initially, Stephen and Tan had pleaded guilty to two counts of cheating Port Klang Authority (PKA) by making false claims amounting to RM5.42 million at PKA in Port Klang on July 31, 2007 and Sept 28, 2007.

Tan and Law, 52, were also charged with another 24 counts of cheating the port authority by allegedly making false claims amounting to RM116.85 million between June 30, 2006, and May 30, 2008.

Following the additional charge against Stephen, head of the forfeiture of property unit, prosecution division of the Attorney-General's Chambers, Dzulkifli Ahmad, who led the prosecution team, requested that the bail on Stephen be increased to RM250,000, as was the bail imposed on Tan and Law.

Lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who represented Stephen, however, asked that bail be maintained at RM200,000 as his client had never failed to attend hearing of the case in court.

Klang Sessions Court judge, Asmadi Hussin, who heard the case in Shah Alam, increased the bail on Stephen to RM250,000 with one surety.

However, he allowed that the money be deposited before the next hearing date which was fixed on Nov 22.

Lawyer V Sithambaram represented Tan, while Law was represented by lawyer Justin Wee, who appeared on behalf of lawyer Tan Hock Chuan today.

- Bernama