MELAKA: A married couple pleaded not guilty at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court here Thursday (March 12) to a charge of misusing a cultural grant totaling RM30,000, two years ago.
The accused, Sara Frederica Santa Maria, 57, and her husband, Sikim Gompongan, 60, made the plea before Judge Elesabet Paya Wan.
According to the charge, the couple were jointly charged with dishonestly misappropriating funds, namely the Cultural Sector Support Grant (GSSK) allocation amounting to RM30,000 from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for the 2024 De San Pedro Festival Programme.
The offence was allegedly committed at a bank in Taman Melaka Raya here, between June 26 and Sept 25, 2024.
The charge was made under Section 403 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code which provides for a prison sentence of not less than six months and not more than five years with whipping and maybe fined if convicted.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecuting officer Nur Syakila Yaacob applied for bail of RM20,000 for each accused with one surety and additional conditions, namely surrendering their passports to the court and reporting to the MACC office in Melaka once a month.
However, lawyer Cassian Anthony who represented the couple requested that the bail be reduced on the grounds that his clients were solely dependent on the money given to them by their four children.
The court then allowed each accused to be bailed at RM7,000 with one surety along with the additional conditions as requested by the prosecution.
The court set April 16 for the case to be mentioned again. - Bernama
