KUALA LUMPUR: A company director pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here Friday (March 13) to three charges of submitting false claims involving payment vouchers related to overseas oil and gas infrastructure construction works totalling RM4.2mil.
Sohpian Ariffin, 46, was charged with submitting three payment vouchers of Syarikat Hadid Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd (Hadid) titled "Submission of Reimbursement for Overseas Project KPO" totalling RM4.2mil, which he had reason to believe were false.
According to the charges, the documents – allegedly containing the false details and dated Nov 13, 2018; April 22, 2019; and Feb 4, 2020 – were submitted to the finance officer of the Malaysia Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), Nurul Kartini Bakar, with the intention of deceiving her, as the work in question was never carried out by the company.
The offences were allegedly committed at the MTDC office in Jalan Bukit Bintang here.
The charges are framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24 (2), and provide for imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the counterfeit items or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.
Judge Suzana Hussin allowed Sohpian bail of RM60,000 with one surety for all three charges, along with an order for him to report to the MACC office in Putrajaya once a month, surrender his passport to the court and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses pending disposal of the case.
She also set April 21 for mention. – Bernama
