KUALA LUMPUR: A company manager has been fined RM30,000 by the Sessions Court here after being found guilty of submitting false lodging and subsistence allowance claims totaling RM1,855.
Judge Rosli Ahmad handed down the sentence on Norhayati Hamzah, 54, on Monday (Dec 8) after finding that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against her at the end of the defence case.
"The court finds the accused guilty of the alternative charge under Section 471 of the Penal Code and sentences her to a fine of RM30,000, in default six months' jail," judge Rosli said.
However, the court allowed an application by lawyer S. Preakas, representing Norhayati, to postpone the payment of the fine pending an appeal to the High Court.
This was subject to the conditions that her bail be increased from RM8,000 to RM10,000 with one surety, that she surrender her passport to the court, and be blacklisted from travelling overseas.
According to the alternative charge, Norhayati was accused of using four forged documents containing claims for lodging and subsistence allowances between Dec 22, 2019, and Feb 5, 2020, totaling RM1,855, submitted to the audit and compliance department manager at her company.
The offence was committed at the office of TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd, a Tenaga Nasional Berhad subsidiary, in Bangunan Penjanaan, Jalan Bangsar here, between Jan 17 and Feb 26, 2020.
The charge was framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code punishable under Section 465, which carries a maximum jail term of two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecuting officer Mohd Aliff Shaharuzaman requested a severe sentence, taking into account the seriousness of the offence committed by the accused.
However, Preakas requested the court to impose a fine, considering that his client has six children and this was her first offence.
A total of 17 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including Norhayati, testified during the trial that began in 2022. – Bernama
