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By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, April 2: A project manager of an engineering firm has pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates’ Court here to three counts of cheating involving more than RM6.18 million in connection with a clinker plant project in Mambong valued at RM17.33 million.
The 57-year-old Chinese national entered his plea before Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali after the charges, framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34, were read to him.
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According to the first charge, the accused, together with another individual, allegedly deceived a contractor, Wong Siu Cheng, into believing that a construction company had been appointed for a third project involving site measurement, transfer of plans to construction works, and site clearing at the Mambong clinker site.
The alleged deception led the victim to spend at least RM6.184 million and to commence and complete about 70 per cent of the works between Sept 2 and Dec 11, 2025, an expenditure he would not have incurred had he not been misled.
For the second charge, the accused is said to have misrepresented the volume of earthworks carried out at the site in October 2025. The victim was allegedly led to believe that only 24,679 cubic metres had been extracted, whereas the actual volume exceeded 145,000 cubic metres.
This misrepresentation purportedly induced the victim to submit a claim of RM6.184 million for the earthworks.
Under the third charge, the accused allegedly deceived the same victim into believing he would receive a RM10 million commission if he successfully secured the clinker plant extension project.
As a result, the victim was said to have assisted in obtaining the project, an action he would not have taken without the alleged inducement.
All the offences were said to have taken place at the plant site along Jalan Mambong, in the Padawan district.
The court allowed bail at RM3,000 with two local sureties for each charge. The accused was also ordered to report to the nearest police station once a month, while his passport was not impounded.
Defence counsel Daniel Ling submitted that his client holds significant responsibilities within the company and may need to travel domestically, including to Kuala Lumpur, for work-related matters.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly appeared for the prosecution.
Meanwhile, another individual allegedly linked to the case, a managing director was absent as he is currently in China and is expected to be charged on April 9.
In a separate proceeding before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan, a freelance in-house surveyor also claimed trial to a cheating charge under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
He is accused of providing false and inaccurate land survey measurements for earthworks at the same project site in October 2025, which allegedly caused the victim to submit a claim based on incorrect figures.
The court fixed May 6 for pre-trial case management for both matters. – DayakDaily
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