Three more individuals charged with submitting false claims for Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives

KUALA LUMPUR: Three more individuals were charged in three Sessions Courts here today with submitting false documents to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to claim incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme amounting to RM123,100.

This brings to a total of 10 individuals including, a company's chief executive officer and a director, who have been charged for similar charges, which involved a total of RM818,260.

At today's proceeding, insurance agent Isa Mohd Ismail, 28, and housewife Mazlina Ali, 45, pleaded not guilty to their respective charge before Judge Azura Alwi.

They were alleged to have submitted the Hiring Incentive Programme Employee Verification Form in the name of Perusahaan Isa Legacy and Perusahaan Aida Hani Enterprise dated June 29, 2021 and March 9, 2021, respectively, through a man to a SOCSO employment service officer to claim incentives amounting to RM54,600.

They were charged with intending to deceive Socso by submitting documents containing false statements about the verification form as the list of employees named in the document were not employees of the two enterprises.

Isa was charged with committing the offence at the Socso Office, Menara Perkeso in Putrajaya on June 29, 2021, while Mazlina at Wisma Perkeso, Jalan Tun Razak here, on March 9, 2021.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 (2) of the same law which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the value of the subject matter of the offence or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted.

Azura allowed Isa and Mazlina bail of RM5,000 with one surety each and also ordered them to report themselves at the MACC offices in Malacca and Kuala Lumpur, respectively.

She also set Feb 14 for mention of both cases.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry and MACC prosecuting officer Mohd Yasri Yahya prosecuted, while Isa was represented by lawyer Lokman Zainal.

Mazlina, who has been declared bankrupt, was unrepresented.

In the courts before judge Rozina Ayob and judge Suzana Hussin, barber Mohamad Mohamed Amin, 31, pleaded not guilty to two similar charges involving a total sum of RM68,500 and using the company names, Perusahaan Mikel Enterprise and Perusahaan Translimit Industries.

He was charged under Section 18 of the MACC Act with committing the offence at Menara Perkeso, Putrajaya, and at the Socso Office here, on March 25, 2021, and May 29, 2021.

Both the judges set bail at RM6,000 with one surety and also ordered the accused to report himself at the MACC office pending disposal of the cases.

Both courts also set Feb 22 for mention.

MACC deputy public prosecutors Nurul Atiqah Alias and Siti Amirah Muhamed Ali prosecuted in the respective cases.

-- BERNAMA