Mohd Hazrul (left) with his counsel Kamarudin after the proceedings on Tuesday.
KOTA KINABALU: A businessman and an assistant manager of a company claimed trial in the Corruption Court here on Tuesday to separate charges of using documents that contained false details as genuine for the purpose of cheating in making claims amounting to RM127,400 and RM172,980 respectively.
Mohd Hazrul Izham Ali Akbar, 38, and Hassan Ho Abdullah, 35, who appeared before judge Abu Bakar Manat, were charged under Section 471, punishable under Section 468, both of the Penal Code.
The indictment provides for a jail term of up to seven years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Mohd Hazrul faces 30 charges of using tax invoices with fake details on them dated between September 1-17, 2015 belonging to a company that involved 200 liters of diesel and RON95 fuel per claim submitted to the State Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.
The charges also stated the alleged claims were made at the said ministry on October 12, 2015 to allegedly claim the fuel supplying works at several places in Sabah but for another different company worth from RM24,300 to RM62,000
The court released Mohd Hazrul on a bail of RM30,000 deposited with RM20,000 and one local surety.
Hassan is facing eight counts of using fake declaration and verification letters of a company for the months of September – December when allegedly claiming for a community project from August to December with the amount from RM8,100 to RM30,780 at the same ministry on November 27, 2018.
The court allowed Hassan to be released on a bail of RM20,000 with RM10,000 deposit and his wife as his surety.
The judge fixed July 2 for handing over documents to be used in the trial for both Mohd Hazrul and Hassan, who were represented by counsel Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki and Amli Nohin, respectively.
The judge also ordered the two accused persons to report themselves at the office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission once in two months and their international passports to be surrendered to court, pending disposal of their cases.