KOTA KINABALU: Eight medical assistants who face 38 charges of using forged documents as genuine to submit overtime allowance claims involving RM126,757.24, will know their fate at the Sessions Court here on February 8 this year.
Judge Abu Bakar Manat fixed the sentencing date for Mohd Rosidih Mohd Said, 39, Zulkifli Arun, 29, Terence Linchos, 39, Juraineh Musalim, 28, Jaduin Untop, 31, Noor Salim Mohd Zin, 28, Mohd Akmal Hafiz Mohamad Ariff, 27, and Naza Fadirul @ Mick Ab Satar, 34, after they pleaded guilty to each of their alternative charges which were read to them yesterday.
Counsel Ram Singh who represented Mohd Rosidih, Zulkifli, Terence, Juraineh, Jaduin and Naza, requested for another date for sentencing in order to prepare a proper mitigation.
Mohd Rosidih, Zulkifli, Terence, Jaduin, Noor Salim, Mohd Akmal and Naza, each admitted to five counts of fraudulently using as genuine the overtime allowance claim statements which contained false details of the accused persons working outside of the normal working hours between January and May, 2016 when in fact they did not perform their work.
The total claims made by each person were RM16,696.10, RM14,065.91, RM18,829.44, RM19,992.63, RM13,466.89, RM12,842.26 and RM22,216.61, respectively.
The only female accused, Juraineh had committed three counts of a similar offence for overtime allowance claim statements for the months of March until May, 2016, amounting to RM8,647.40.
All of the accused persons, who are working at the Ophthalmology Clinic (eye clinic) in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital One, here, had committed the offence at the Sabah Accountant General¡¦s Department in Wisma Perindustrian here between February 1 and June 30, 2016.
The offences were framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 465 of the same Code, which carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine or to both, upon conviction.
On August 24, 2017, all of the accused persons claimed trial to separate charges of making false claims of overtime allowance.
The offence is framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 (2) of the same Act, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years or a fine of not less than five times of the sum or value of the false claims or RM10,000, whichever is higher, on conviction.
The court also allowed their bail to be extended.
Mohd Rosidih, Zulkifli, Terence, Jaduin, Noor Salim and Mohd Akmal are released on RM20,000 bail each with RM10,000 to be deposited while Juraineh and Naza allowed RM 20,000 and RM30,000 bail with RM8,000 and RM15,000 deposited in a local surety, respectively.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Rozanna Abd Hadi together with DPP Rustam Sanip from the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission acted for the prosecution while Ram appeared together with counsel Kimberly Ye and counsel Hairul Vaiyron for Noor Salim and Mohd Akmal.