PenjanaKerjaya: CEO, director arrested over misappropriation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) detained a company chief executive officer and director in the capital yesterday to assist in investigations into alleged false claims and misappropriation of PenjanaKerjaya incentive funds involving a total value of about RM100 million.

According to sources, the two individuals, a woman and a man in their 40s, were arrested at 1.30 pm under Ops Hire in collaboration with the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

"They are believed to have submitted invoices for the Employment Recruitment Incentive Programme (PenjanaKerjaya) containing false details to the Social Security Organisation to obtain payment of about RM700,000 under the National Economic Recovery Plan (to help employers and employees affected by COVID-19 pandemic) when the programme was (in fact) not fully implemented.

"The company's director, a man, was remanded until Thursday (July 21) after Magistrate Mohd Dinie Shazwan Ab Shukor allowed the MACC's application at the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court this morning while the woman (CEO) was released after her statement was recorded," said the source.

MACC senior director of investigation Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim confirmed the arrest and said the case was being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

He said the operation (Ops Hire) and investigations were still ongoing and did not rule out the possibility of several more arrests being made in the near future.

On July 14, the MACC detained 37 individuals in several states to assist with investigations into the issue and three more individuals were detained in Johor and Penang a day later on the same case.

So far, 42 individuals have been arrested through Ops Hire.

Meanwhile, in PUTRAJAYA, Socso issued a denial that its office here was raided by MACC over the issue of false claims from the PenjanaKerjaya fund involving about RM100 million.

Socso's chief communications and corporate affairs officer Izad Raya in a statement today said a report on a news portal entitled 'MACC picks up 40 employees of the Ministry of Human Resources (KSM), Socso - Sources' published today, was untrue and had tarnished Socso's reputation.

"No raids were made at KSM or Socso," he said, adding that Socso regretted it was not contacted in advance to confirm the facts before the news was published.

He said although the portal had corrected the facts in the news later, (but) the initial news published stating that Socso employees were detained by the MACC in Ops Hire relating to false PenjanaKerjaya claims, had gone viral on social media and popular messaging app WhatsApp.

He asserted that Socso always upheld integrity when helping target groups in need.

-- BERNAMA