Two Wisma Putra officers plead not guilty to false claims charge

Two Wisma Putra officials today claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to the charge of making false claims amounting to RM378,000.

Diplomat Shahril Effendi Abd Ghany, 48 and senior Foreign Ministry official Mohd Hadtamizi Abu Bakar, 47 were separately charged at the Duta Court Complex this morning.

Shahril, dressed in a blue suit, was charged with intentionally cheating the Malaysian Embassy in Washington DC, using two documents in 2011, during the APEC Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The documents were namely a November 3-16 claims expense statement and an official receipt to the Aloha Way Transportation dated Nov 3 amounting to USD126,681.

Shahril, according to the charge sheet, had reason to believe that these documents contained false information but had confirmed that the said amount was spent for the rental of a transport with Aloha Way, when the actual amount was only USD88,500.

Meanwhile, Mohd Hadtamizi, who was dressed more casually in a white short sleeved shirt and a red cap, was charged with abetting Shahril over the same matter.

The offence falls under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, If convicted, both men could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of not less than five times of the false claim amount.

The case was brought to court by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah.

Shahril was represented by lawyer Shamsul Sulaiman while Mohd Hadtamizi by Shahrullahan Nawan Zad Khan and Ridha Abadah Subri.

The court set bail at RM30,000 with one surety, and both had to surrender their passports.

The cases, to be heard separately, will be presided by Sessions Court Judge Mohd Nasir Nordin. The cases were both fixed for mention on Feb 10.

On Tuesday, MACC arrested two men to assist in their investigations and they were held at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya. The investigations were initially classified under the Anti-Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act 2001.