Court of Appeal upholds acquittal of ex-PPNT GM for submitting false invoice

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today upheld the Sessions Court's decision to acquit and discharge the former general manager of the Terengganu State Farmers' Organisation (PPNT) on a charge of submitting an invoice containing false information.

The three-panel judge led by Datuk Seri Kamaludin Mat Said made the ruling after allowing Che Sa'adon Che Yahya's appeal to set aside the High Court's decision, which sentenced him to one year in jail and a fine of RM10,000.

Judge Kamaludin, in the judgment, said Che Sa'adon's appeal was meritorious because the High Court did not appreciate the minutes of the meeting which stated that the claims made by Che Sa'adon were technical errors.

Other members of the bench were Datuk P. Ravinthran and Datuk Abu Bakar Jais.

Che Sa'adon, 58, was charged, as a PPNT agent, for submitting claims amounting to RM1,140 for repair works on the association's Toyota Fortuner four-wheel-drive vehicle, when in fact, he wanted to repair his Toyota Wish.

The offence was committed at the PPNT office, Terengganu, on Jan 25, 2016.

On Nov 28, 2019, the Sessions Court in Kuala Terengganu found Che Sa'adon not guilty and acquitted and discharged him from the charge.

However, on Feb 7, 2021, the High Court allowed the prosecution's appeal to set aside the Sessions Court's decision.

Che Sa'adon was found guilty by the High Court and sentenced to 12 months in jail and a fine of RM10,000 in default of six months in jail. He then filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal against the High Court's decision.

-- BERNAMA