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SELAYANG: Four brothers are among the five men who pleaded not guilty to two charges in the Court of Sessions here today for polluting Sungai Gong in Rawang on September 3.
The brothers, Yip Kok Wai, 52; Yip Kok Mun, 58; Yip Kok Kuin, 50 years old; and Yip Kok Weng, 60, are directors of Yip Chee Seng and Sons Sdn Bhd, which owns a factory where the contamination allegedly originated.
The other person charged was the factory manager, 59-year-old Ho Voon Leong.
Pollution from Sungai Gong, which feeds Sungai Selangor, caused a major water disruption in the Klang Valley, affecting 1.2 million households.
On the first count, the five men are charged with intentional harm by causing hazardous waste from the factory to flow into Sungai Gong.
They were charged under Section 430 of the Penal Code, which is read with Section 34 of the Penal Code. If convicted, they face a jail sentence of between five and 30 years or a fine or both.
For the second count, they are accused of mischief by causing the factory’s hazardous waste to flow into Sungai Gong without a license.
They were charged under Section 25 (1) of the Environmental Quality Act of 1974, which is read in conjunction with Section 34 of the Penal Code. If convicted, they face a jail sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to RM 100,000 or both.
Judge Syafeera Mohd Said rejected bail and set October 27 for the mention of the case.
