Contractor claims trial to deceiving accountant-general's dept

KOTA KINABALU: A local contractor pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court, here, today to a charge of duping the Accountant-General's Department by submitting false claim documents.
The accused, Kaslan Jiman, 46, allegedly committed the offence on Oct 28, 2013 at the Sabah branch of the Malaysia Accountant-General's Department, here, by submitting an undated invoice No. RW0413 in the name of Nisha Enterprise and government order P13000085 dated Oct 22, 2013 to assistant accountant Jusline Lingok, Payment Unit of the department.
The documents were allegedly for works to repair the doors of the administrative office, library and student affairs office of the National Youth Skills Training Institute in Kinarut worth RM19,800, which were not carried out.
Kaslan was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the amount involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Awang Samsul Baharam Bungso told the court that the offence was non-bailable.

However, he said, if the court allowed bail, the MACC was offering bail of RM20,000 and a deposit of RM10,000 in one surety.
Kaslan, who was not represented, asked that the bail be reduced, saying he had no income since his arrest by the MACC and had four children pursuing higher studies.
Judge Abu Bakar Manat allowed bail of RM20,000 and deposit of RM8,000 in one surety, and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court.
Abu Bakar also gave the accused one month for him to appoint a lawyer and fixed Aug 8 for case mention. — Bernama