MELAKA: Three individuals pleaded not guilty in the Ayer Keroh sessions court today to charges of submitting false documents to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme totalling RM136,000.
The first accused, businesswoman Marzila Daud, 46, was alleged to have submitted documents containing false information in the Employee Verification Form for the Employee Recruitment Incentive Programme under the name Ainnas Sweet Home Bakery to claim incentives amounting to RM50,000.
The offence was allegedly committed at Wisma Perkeso, Jalan Persekutuan International Trade Center Melaka (MITC), Hang Tuah Jaya, Ayer Keroh on March 8, 2021.
The other accused are Siti Nor Sofwah Ahmad, 26, a staff of the state Islamic religious office, and businessman Nick Farhan Zakiran Mahadi, 30.
They were charged with committing a similar offence by submitting claims for incentives amounting to RM41,000 and RM45,000, respectively, at the same place.
Siti Nor Sofwah was alleged to have submitted a claim on behalf of Nor Sofwah Tea on March 23, 2021, while Nick Farhan Zakiran submitted the claim on behalf of NFZ Engineering on April 16, 2021.
They were all charged 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 a jail sentence of up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the amount of the said offences, if convicted.
Judge Elesabet Paya Wan allowed Marzila bail of RM15,000, while bail for Siti Nor Safwa and Nick Farhan Zakiran was set at RM12,000 each.
The judge also ordered them to surrender their passports and report themselves to the nearest MACC office once a month.
She set Feb 16 for mention of the cases.
Deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong prosecuted, while lawyers Hafizah Sani and Lim Kah Ee represented Marzila and Siti Nor Sofwa, respectively.
Nick Farhan Zakiran was unrepresented.
Last year, MACC said they arrested 45 people in different states on suspicion of making false claims and misappropriating Penjana Kerjaya funds.
The suspects consist of business owners, directors, managers, shareholders, engineers and executives.
