Civil Servant Pleads Not Guilty To 16 Charges Over False Employee Performance Evaluation

SHAH ALAM, March 10 (Bernama) -- A civil servant pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to 16 charges, including eoght alternatives charges, related to submitting documents containing false details regarding an employee’s performance evaluation.

Maheran Abd Malik, 54, made the plea after all charges were read before Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.

According to the charges, Maheran was accused of submitting a performance evaluation document confirming the work output of an employee, Abdul Hamid Khairudin, 28, with the intention of misleading the Hulu Langat Kemas officer and the Pandan Parliamentary Assistant Community and Skills Officer.

However, the employee concerned had allegedly not achieved the stated work output as he had been absent from duty.

For the alternative charges, Maheran was accused of fraudulently using a document as genuine, namely an Output Performance Evaluation Form in the name of the same employee, which contained false statements, and submitting it to the same authorities.

The offences were allegedly committed at the  Hulu Langat District Office, in Section 6, Bandar Baru Bangi, between July 31, 2023 and April 30, 2024.

The main charges were framed under  Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(2) of the same act, carrying a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the false or erroneous material if it can be valued or in monetary form, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

Meanwhile, the alternative charges were framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 465 of the same code,  which provides for a maximum imprisonment of two years, or with a fine, or both, if convicted.

The court then allowed the accused bail of RM10,000 with one suretyand set May 13 for mention.

The woman was also ordered to report to the MACC office in Shah Alam every month, surrender her passport to the court and not interfere with prosecution witnesses.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Arif Asyraf Mohd Khairi, from MACC, while the accused was represented by lawyer Suzanawati Ismail.

-- BERNAMA