Mobile phone company fined for raising prices of SIM card packs
NEWSTRAITSTIMES
SEREMBAN: A company selling mobile phones was fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here today for failing to submit documents to assist investigations into alleged profiteering.
The sentence was passed on E Voice Technology by Judge Madihah Harullah after the company’s director Wong Tze Wei pleaded guilty to failing to produce purchase invoices and sales and purchase receipts within three working days to a notice issued by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry on June 23, 2015.
According to the charge, the mobile phone company had committed the offence under Section 21(5) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 on the first floor of Pasaraya Tesco (M) Sdn Bhd, Jalan Haruan 2, Oakland Industrial Park, Seremban 2, here on June 29.
The company is punishable under Section 57 of the same Act which carries a fine not exceeding RM100,000 and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding RM250,000.
According to the facts of the case, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry enforcement officers inspected the outlet after receiving complaints from the public that the company had raised the prices of its Hotlink SIM packs.
After inspection, the ministry concluded that the company had raised the prices of the packs from RM10 on Jan 1 to RM12 on June 23.
The company was subsequently asked to disclose related documents to assist investigation under Section 21(2) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
Deputy public prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir prosecuted, while the company was unrepresented.
Wong pleaded for a lower fine and pledged not to repeat the offence.
Madihah later handed down the RM10,000 fine to the company.
