Pakistani facing 11 charges over Immigration offences
KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani accountant claimed trial at a sessions court today to 11 counts of possessing passports belonging to two people and several fake Immigration Department rubber stamps.
Abdullah Qayyum, 26, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him before judge Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob.
According to the first and second charge, he is accused of having two passports belonging to an Indian national and a Filipino at his house in Taman Seri Gombak, Batu Caves, and at a fast-food restaurant in the same area on Feb 19, between 7.30pm and 8.45pm.
He was charged under Section 12 (1) (f) of the Passport Act 1966, which is punishable under Section 12 (1) of the same Act with imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both.
For the third to eleventh charges, he is accused of being in possession of one Immigration Department special pass, one enforcement division rubber stamp, one special social visit rubber stamp, one exit rubber stamp, three temporary employment visit pass stickers, and one forged i-Kad with the name "Pinto Riza".
He was charged under Section 56(1A) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) read together with Section 55D of the same Act, which is punishable under Section 55D with a jail term of up to 10 years, or a fine of up to RM30,000 and up to six strokes of the rotan.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Khairul Amri Mohd Zainuddin from the Immigration Department did not propose bail.
"If the court allows bail, the prosecution suggest a bail of RM100,000 in two sureties, with the passport of the accused to be surrendered to the court. He should also report to the Immigration Department investigating officer every Thursday of each month until the case concludes," he said.
However, defence counsel Nurul Ikrimah Mohd Raya appealed for a low bail amount to be allowed for her client as his second wife was pregnant in the Philippines.
Wan Mohd Norisham allowed bail at RM100,000 in two sureties and ordered the accused to surrender his passport and report to the investigating officer as proposed by Mohd Khairul Amri.
The case will be mentioned on May 8.