KOTA KINABALU: A petrol station worker who recorded customers’ MyKad numbers before misusing them to obtain BUDI Madani diesel subsidies was jailed eight months and given four strokes of the rotan by the Lahad Datu Magistrates Court for cheating.
Lahad Datu OCPD Asst Comm Dzulbaharin Ismail confirmed that the petrol station attendant had pleaded guilty to four counts of misappropriation framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code on Wednesday (Aug 5).
ACP Dzulbaharin said that police uncovered the activities of the petrol station worker after a victim lodged a police report on discovering that his BUDI Madani diesel subsidy quota had been used without his knowledge.
“The victim found four transactions involving 43.01 litres of subsidised diesel at a petrol station in the district,” he said in a media statement.
ACP Dzulnaharin explained that investigations by the Commercial Crime Investigation division led to the arrest of two men and one woman, all locals, including the petrol station worker.
Investigations revealed that the suspect recorded customers’ MyKad numbers when they purchased diesel using the BUDI Madani subsidy, then used a supervisor’s password to enter those numbers into the system without needing the physical MyKad.
“The suspect then used the recorded MyKad numbers when other customers purchased non-subsidised fuel, allowing them to enjoy subsidized diesel prices and profit illegally,” he said.
ACP Dzulbaharin said the main suspect was charged in a Lahad Datu Magistrate’s Court with four counts of misusing other people’s MyKad numbers for Budi Madani subsidy purposes.
“The suspect pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight months in prison and four strokes of the cane, with all sentences running concurrently, while the other two individuals arrested were prosecution witnesses,” he said.
He also advised the public to be more cautious when handing over their MyKad for subsidy-related transactions and to immediately report to the police if they detect any misuse of the Budi Madani scheme.
