FORMER COMPANY DIRECTOR FINED RM21,000 FOR SUBMITTING FALSE INFORMATION TO PERKESO

JOHOR BAHRU, July 10 (Bernama) -- A former director of an import-export company was fined RM21,000 by the Sessions Court here today after she pleaded guilty to four charges of submitting false information to claim RM62,120 in Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) incentives, three years ago.

Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail also ordered P Poowesna, 36, to serve a one-month jail term for each charge if she fails to settle the fine.

Earlier, during the proceedings, another former director of the company and political party youth leader, A Mohana Sundharam, 35, who faced similar charges, was absent from court on medical leave. 

Mohana Sundharam's lawyer, Nur Zafirah Norizan, informed the court that her client had been suffering from food poisoning since yesterday.

Judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin scheduled Aug 8 for Mohana Sundharam's plea hearing.

On Nov 14 last year, Poowesna and Mohana Sundharam pleaded not guilty to four charges of conspiring to submit the Employee Confirmation Form for TMB Resources to claim RM62,120 in incentives under Perkeso’s Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme. 

The former husband and wife were accused of submitting a document to Perkeso officers with the intent to deceive, knowing it contained false information about 10 supposed new employees who were not employed by the company.

The offences were committed at the Perkeso Employment Services Division here on May 30, 2021.

They were charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which carries a maximum imprisonment of 20 years, a fine up to five times the amount involved, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Zahida Muhammad Ruzi appeared for the prosecution, while lawyer Muhammad Mohd Nasir represented Poowesna.

-- BERNAMA