Two face RM14m forgery, theft charges

Two face RM14m forgery, theft charges by Regina William THE SUN BUKIT MERTAJAM: Two former Dell Asia Pacific employees claimed trial in a magistrate's court here yesterday to a total of 14 charges of forgery and theft involving more than RM14 million while under the employ of the company in 2003. Ng Chung Khoon, 33, a former manager with Dell, denied 10 counts of falsifying material requisition forms causing the company to lose RM11.98 million. Ng is alleged to have caused Dell losses ranging between RM714,400 and RM1,786,000 on each charge. He is alleged to have made alterations to the numbers on the forms with the intention of using the documents to cheat the company at its premises at Bukit Tengah Industrial Estate. Ng faces another charge of stealing 33,000 pieces of certificates of authenticity belonging to Dell between April and September 2003. Tan Boon Hoe, 31, a former technician, also denied falsifying material requisition forms causing Dell to lose RM2.42 million. He faces another charge of stealing 5,000 pieces of certificates of authenticity belonging to Dell between June and July 2003. DPP Muna Mohamed Jaafar asked the court to impound their passports and asked for bail of RM1 million for Ng, and RM100,000 for Tan. Counsel M. Athimulan, representing both Ng and Tan, asked for much lower sums, saying they did not abscond from the country. "When they left Dell, they were given a farewell party by the company ... they never absconded," he said. "They resigned from the company in September and left to join the company in China for two years from October 2003 and had been scheduled to return here last Oct 5 after serving their contract. "It was only in May 2004 that a police report was lodged by the company and the police went there on Sept 22 to arrest them. So there is no question about both of them having absconded." Magistrate Sharmila Abdul Samad set bail at RM33,000 for Tan and RM175,000 for Ng and ordered that their passports be handed over to the court.