False Claims: Kuala Langat IKBN Officer Charged With Abetment

SHAH ALAM, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- An officer of the Kuala Langat National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) was charged in the Sessions Court here today with two counts of abetting the submission of false claims amounting to RM76,980 for a training programme three years ago.

Noor Aini Mohd Khalid, 52, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud and Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin in separate courts.

In the court before Judge Awang Kerisnada, the woman is accused of abetting a local man in submitting documents for claims amounting to RM36,000 for services of providing food, beverages and laundry by a training management company to the institute, when actually not all the services were provided.

In the court before Judge Mohd Nasir, Noor Aini was charged with abetting the same man by submitting false claims worth RM40,980 for the service of supplying training and promotional materials for the institute, which was not actually carried out in full.

The offences were allegedly committed on July 14 and May 22, 2023, at the IKBN Kuala Langat office in Banting, near here, and were framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(2) of the same law.

If convicted, the accused faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the false claim or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin and Asmaa’ Zamri each proposed bail at RM15,000 with one surety, along with additional conditions that the accused surrender her passport to the court and report to the MACC office once a month.

However, lawyer Muhammad Amin Anuar, representing the accused, appealed for minimum bail, citing his client’s family responsibilities, including caring for three children, her husband, who suffered a broken leg in an accident, and her elderly parents who live with her.

The court subsequently set bail at RM9,000 with one surety, imposed the additional conditions sought by the prosecution, and fixed April 22 for mention.

-- BERNAMA