KUALA LUMPUR: A senior lecturer of a local university was charged in the two Sessions Courts here on Monday (June 27) with misappropriating funds for a research project and using as genuine a forged document.
Dr Mohamad Zulkefli Adam, 56, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In the court before judge Suzana Hussain, he was charged in his capacity as the Project Leader of the Research-Based Foundation For Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship (Smart Rural) with five counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM32,000 belonging to the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah).
The offence, under Section 403 of the Penal Code, was allegedly committed at Maybank Berhad's Jalan Raja Muda branch here between Sept 3 and Oct 26, 2017.
He faces a jail term for up to five years, with whipping and is also liable with fine, if found guilty.
Judge Suzana allowed him bail of RM15,000 with one surety for the five charges and ordered him to surrender his passport to the court.
In another Sessions Court before judge Azura Alwi, Mohamad Zulkefli was charged with using as genuine a forged invoice for RM10,100 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur on Aug 11, 2017.
He was allowed bail of RM5,000 for the offence and both the courts set Aug 11 for mention.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir prosecuted in both cases, while the lecturer was represented by lawyer Mazlan Mohd Zain. - Bernama
