MELAKA: A catering service provider was fined RM50,000 by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court on Friday (Feb 10) after pleading guilty to submitting false claims to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme involving RM170,400.
Judge Elesabet Paya Wan also ordered Mohd Eszahar Mansor, 38, to serve 10 months in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
Mohd Eszahar was accused of submitting the Employee Verification Form in the name of Eszahar Maju Enterprise to verify that 30 individuals registered under the programme as permanent staff at his company, while all of them only work part-time.
The offence was committed at the Melaka Socso office on April 21, 2021.
Investigations found that the proceeds from the hiring incentives approved without meeting the conditions were used by the accused himself.
The charge, framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 465 of the same law, provides a maximum prison sentence of two years, or a fine, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamad Ali requested a deterrent sentence that would serve as a lesson to the public not to misuse the incentives.
He also requested that the payment for a gold bracelet and the remaining incentive money amounting to RM378,211.37 seized from the company’s account be forfeited to the government.
The accused, represented by lawyer Azrul Zulkifli Stork, appealed for a lighter sentence on grounds that he had a family to support. - Bernama
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