Accounts Assistant Sentenced To Six Years In Prison, Eight Strokes For CBT

SANDAKAN, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- An accounts assistant was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and eight strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to eight charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) over RM1.2 million misappropriated from his employer last year.

Judge Roslinda Razali handed down the sentence on 24-year-old Chia Ka Rong after he failed to offer a reasonable explanation for his actions.

The court imposed six years’ imprisonment for each charge, to run concurrently from the date of his arrest on Feb 3, and ordered one stroke of the cane per charge, to be carried out separately.

Chia was accused of submitting falsified invoices from supplier companies to his employer at the Batu 2 office between June and October last year, amounting to RM1.205 million, which he then transferred into his personal bank account.

He was charged under Section 408 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment, caning, and a fine.

Chia, who was unrepresented,  appealed for a reduced sentence, citing that he is an only child and needs to support his parents.

However, deputy public prosecutor B Yuvan urged the court to impose a sentence commensurate with the seriousness of the offence and public interest, noting that the company suffered significant losses as a result.

Yuvan added that the offence was deliberate and repeated, as the accused had created falsified invoices and conducted multiple fund transfers into his account.

-- BERNAMA