MELAKA, Jan 26 — A businessman was charged at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court here today, with three counts of submitting false claims to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives, involving a sum of RM1,123,030.
The accused, Mohd Eszahar Mansor, 38, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out before Judge Elesabet Paya Wan.
For the first charge, Mohd Eszahar, with the intention of deceiving the Melaka Socso employment service officer, Nurshahera Nordin, produced the names of 19 individuals, purportedly employees of the Eszahar Maju Enterprise, into the Penjana Kerjaya 1.0 system at the Melaka Socso’s Employment Service Officer Unit, on Oct 10, 2020.
For the second and third charges, Mohd Eszahar is accused of producing the names of 49 and 35 individuals, who are not Eszahar Maju Enterprise’s employees, into the Penjana Kerjaya 1.0 and 2.0 systems, on Oct 6, 2020, and April 21, 2021, at the same place.
All charges are 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 for 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, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor, Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamad Ali, proposed bail of RM30,000 for all three charges, with an additional condition that the accused must report to the Negeri Sembilan MACC office once a month until the disposal of the case.
Lawyer, Azrul Zulkifli Stork, representing the accused, appealed for a lower bail on the grounds that his income is only RM5,000 a month, and he has to support his wife who is still studying, and two school-going children, apart from looking after his parents.
The court allowed bail of RM30,000 in one surety for all three charges and set Feb 10 for mention.
The accused was also ordered to report to the Negeri Sembilan MACC office once a month until the disposal of the case. — Bernama
