Former MIDF director fined RM85,000 for using forged document as genuine

KUALA LUMPUR: A former director of the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation (MIDF) was fined RM85,000, in default six months jail, by the Sessions Court here today for falsifying payment vouchers on expenditure by the Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) funds for Tamil Schools Post COVID-19 Assistance (TAS-COVID) programme.

Judge Suzana Hussain meted out the fine on S. S. Vijaya Kumar, 47, after he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge with using as genuine a forged document.

According to the charge, Vijaya Kumar, who now works as an independent consultant, was accused of using a forged document, which is a MIDF payment voucher dated Nov 24, 2020, amounting to RM75,000 for supply of hand sanitiser, which he had reason to believe the document was false, as genuine.

The offence was committed at Mitra, Ministry of National Unity, Lebuh Perdana Timur A, Federal Government Administration Centre, Putrajaya on July 2, 2021.

He was charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code, which carries an imprisonment for up to two years or a fine or both, upon conviction.

Earlier, during mitigation, Vijaya Kumar, unrepresented, said he regretted his action and that he cooperated with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) when he was in remand for six days.

"There was no financial transactions from the Mitra programme into my account and I have resigned from all positions at MIDF. Now I work as an independent consultant and my income is not stable," he added.

Deputy public prosecutor A. Kalaivani prosecuted.

According to the facts of the case, the accused had prepared a false supporting document, namely the MIDF payment voucher in the final report to Mitra for the TAS-COVID programme expenditure, whereby investigation found that the company named in the payment voucher did not supply hand sanitiser for the programme.

-- BERNAMA