A prominent local businessman with a 'Datuk' title and a former officer of government-linked company (GLC) were charged in the Session Court here today with a total 56 counts of making false claims three years ago.

Datuk Kok Chung Fui, 43, and William AK Edmund Silla, 43, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to all the charges before judge Abu Bakar Manat.

Kok, who is director of CK Oil and Gas Sdn Bhd, is charged with 28 counts of submitting false claims, amounting to RM789,360, to Petronas Carigali, while William, who was a coordinating officer of a GLC, was charged with 28 counts of abetting him.

William was alleged to have acknowledged the false claims by signing the invoices for the supply of the materials, but which were never delivered.

They were alleged to have committed the offences at Scomi Oiltools Sdn Bhd, Labuan Integrated Base, Labuan, on Sept 18, 2013.

Kok was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, while William was charged under Section 28, read together with Section 18 (1) (b) of the same law.

MACC prosecuting officer Rozanna Abd Hadi, who prosecuted, applied to have all the 56 charges tried together.

Abu Bakar allowed Kok and William bail of RM100,000 in two sureties each and also ordered them to surrender their passport to the court.

The two men, represented by lawyer Korventt Wheezer, were also required to report themselves at the MACC office on the first week of every month.

The court set April 10 for mention. --Bernama