Former executive charged with submitting false invoices

KUANTAN, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- A former executive of a company was brought before the Sessions Court here today on 10 charges of submitting false invoices amounting to RM320,143 in connection with the payment for fire safety equipment.

Mohd Hafez Manap, 38, from Sungai Karang Darat here, pleaded not guilty to all the charges read before Judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain.

The accused, as a fire and emergency executive, was alleged to have committed the offence involving invoices with false details for payment of the supply of various fire safety equipment, which he knew was never supplied.

He was accused of committing the act at his office in the Gebeng industrial area here between Jan 26, 2021 and Sept 21, 2021, under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.

The judge allowed bail at RM60,000 in one surety with the condition that the accused's passport was handed over to the court, and that he had to report to the MACC office every month until the case is completed, while March 3 was set for mention of the case. 

Meanwhile, a former Felda supervisor entrusted to pay salaries to settlers in Felda Sebertak, Bera, was sentenced to six months in prison and fined RM8,000 in default three months’ jail by the Sessions Court for forging documents with regard to salary payments to the settlers, and then using the money to participate in Forex investments.

Muhammad Aizat Ziadi, 34, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to the amended charge.

He was accused of falsifying the signatures of settlers between November and December 2020 with the intention to mislead the management into believing that the settlers had signed the documents as proof that they had received the money.

The charge was brought under Section 464(a) of the Penal Code which is punishable under Section 465 of the same code, carrying a maximum jail term of two years, or a fine, or both.

Counsel Mazura Ismail mitigated for a lenient sentence, saying her client, who had lost his job and marriage due to the act, had repented, and was now earning RM50 per day as a restaurant assistant while working hard to repay the affected settlers.

Deputy Public Prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Rifah Izzati Abdul Mutalif, meanwhile, requested a deterrent sentence as the accused had tarnished the image and integrity of Felda while using money meant for settlers for his own benefit.

-- BERNAMA