Former clerk's jail sentence increased from two years to 12 for CBT involving almost RM1m

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today increased the jail term from two years to 12 on a former administrative assistant at the Accountant General’s Department who was convicted on 29 counts of criminal breach of trust by falsifying payment vouchers involving losses amounting to RM918,811.25.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Shariff Abu Samah ordered that Rosinah Harun, 57, be sentenced to 12 years’ jail for each of the charges faced by her and ordered for the sentences to run concurrently from her date of arrest, April 19, 2016.
Mohamad Shariff made the decision after allowing the prosecution’s appeal to increase the two years’ jail term passed by the Sessions Court on her.
In his judgment, Mohamad Shariff described Rosinah’s offence as very serious and there could not be compromise.
"In this case, the court needs to consider the factor of public interest and worse still, her action had marred the integrity of the government department where she worked,” he said.
Rosinah, a single mother who had worked with the department for 30 years, pleaded guilty to all the 29 charges of falsifying documents of valuable security (payment vouchers) involving a total sum of RM918,811.25 between Aug 27, 2008 and Dec 21, 2010.
On April 19 last year, the Sessions Court sentenced her to two years’ jail on each charge and ordered for the jail terms to run concurrently.
Rosinah committed all the offences at the Accountant General’s Department, 42nd Floor, Menara Maybank, here, under Section 467 of the Penal Code which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and also be liable to a fine.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Haderiah Siri submitted that the two years’ jail sentence handed down by the Sessions Court on Rosinah was inadequate and did not commensurate with the offence she committed.
“The accused’s action of falsifying the vouchers and putting in almost RM1 million into her account and that of her family members is a serious crime. The accused had done it after thorough planning for two years and the offence was committed by she herself without involving others,” the DPP said.
Rosinah, who was unrepresented, pleaded that the two years’ jail term be maintained, but after the court’s decision was made , she appeared calm and being comforted by her younger brother. — Bernama