BUTTERWORTH: The 29-year-old founder of the JJ Poor to Rich (JJPTR) investment scheme has pleaded not guilty to a charge of falsifying documents submitted to the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

Lee Choong Sen, also known as Johnson Lee (pic), was charged at the Sessions Court here Tuesday with submitting false details in his declaration when applying to strike off his company's name, a requirement under Section 308(1) of the Companies Act 1965.

He is alleged to have declared that JJ Global Networks Sdn Bhd never started business since it was incorporated.

The declaration was allegedly made at the SSM office in Seberang Jaya on Dec 15, 2016.

The offence under Section 364(2) of the Companies Act 1965 carries a jail term of no more than 10 years, a fine that can go up to RM250,000, or both if convicted.

Lee was represented by G. Jaya Prem and Nick Tan Meow Khoon while the SSM prosecuting officers were Faizal Mahdi Mahmud and Mohd Fairuz Othman.

The JJPTR investment scheme collapsed last April after the company claimed to have lost US$400mil (RM1.7bil) to a purported hacking job.

Lee and two of his aides – Lim Seong Woei and Pang Chee Peng – were arrested by police on May 16 and released on police bail on May 23, 2017.

Last September, the trio claimed trial to cheating at the magistrate’s court in Kuala Lumpur.

They were accused of deceiving Yeoh Kian Lai, 45, to invest in the JJPTR investment scheme, which promised allegedly non-existent profits.