Latest news with #SabahPortsandHarboursDepartment
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Maritime authorities foil bid to smuggle 7 tonnes of rice in Tawau
TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled a smuggling bid involving about seven tonnes of rice and other controlled items when a cargo boat was intercepted in local waters early yesterday morning. The boat was detected during Ops Pluto Timur, Ops Sejahtera, and Ops Tiris about 0.75 nautical miles south of Kuala Sungai Tawau, as it travelled from Batu Tiga towards Pulau Sebatik at 4.20am. Tawau Maritime Zone director, Captain Maritim Ariffin Ghazali, said initial checks revealed the vessel was operated by a 20-year-old Sabahan in possession of questionable identification documents. Also onboard was a 25-year-old Indonesian man holding a passport but without a valid work permit. "Preliminary investigations found the boat operator failed to produce permits for transporting controlled goods or customs declaration documents for the cargo intended for Pulau Sebatik," he said in a statement today. Further inspection uncovered 700 sacks of rice weighing a total of 7,000kg and 30 boxes of cooking oil packets weighing 510kg stored in the cargo hold. Ariffin said the total value of the seized items, including the boat and engine, was about RM300,000. Authorities believe the goods were intended for sale in a neighbouring country. Both suspects have been detained for further investigation under the Supply Control Act 1961, Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994, Customs Act 1967, Immigration Act 1959/63, and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department Enactment 2002. "Investigations are also looking into possible cross-border smuggling activities, following the circulation of several viral video clips showing Malaysian goods being seized by foreign enforcement agencies," he added.
Borneo Post
10-06-2025
- Borneo Post
Ex-civil servant fined for corruption involving towing services
Abel (right) outside the court with his counsel Dominic (second left) after the proceedings on Tuesday. KOTA KINABALU (June 10): A former civil servant was fined RM700,000 by a Sessions Court here on Tuesday after pleading guilty to 15 corruption charges related to towing services. Judge Jason Juga handed down the sentence to 52-year-old Abel Ongkunik, who had earlier pleaded guilty on March 14 to 15 to alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code. The section provides for a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both upon conviction. The prosecution offered the lesser charges after considering Abel's representation letter, which was accepted by the Deputy Public Prosecutor's Office. According to the charges, Abel, while serving as the director of the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department, received between RM33,098.62 and RM59,724.30 for granting a company permission to carry out towing services within the Kimanis port limitation area in 2018. He was also charged with approving towing licenses for a company between August 28, 2017 and July 2, 2018. The payments were made by two companies and deposited into the accounts of three different companies at bank branches in Kota Kinabalu, Lido and Kota Belud. For each of the 15 charges, Abel was fined between RM38,000 and RM58,000. In default, he will serve six months in jail per charge. Previously, on March 15, 2022, Abel had claimed trial to 29 charges under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, involving a total sum of RM1,290,706.19. The court later withdrew 15 of the original charges, while the remaining 14 were taken into consideration under Section 171A of the Criminal Procedure Code during sentencing. The court also ordered the return of Abel's passport and the refund of his bail. He was represented by counsel Dominic Chew. Abel paid the fines.
