ALOR SETAR: Three company owners were fined RM50,000 by the Sessions Court here today after they pleaded guilty to falsifying bank statements when tendering for a public cleaning contract in 2019.

Judge Harmi Thamri Mohamad meted out the sentence to Azlan Abd Hashim, 48, Nahairizaki Mohd Zin, 42, and Wan Helmi Wan Darus, 49, after they pleaded guilty to an alternative charge.

The court odered them to serve six months in jail if they fail to pay the fine.

Harmi Thamri said he took into consideration public interests when imposing the sentence, which was meant to be a deterrent.

The three were charged with using a forged bank statement of accounts for their companies for the months of October to December 2018 when submitting tenders for the Privatisation of Solid Waste Collection and Management of Public Cleaning in the Northern Region.

Azlan, Nahairizaki and Wan Helmi committed the offence at Wisma Idaman Sdn Bhd, Lot 163&164, Jalan BSG 4, Lebuhraya Sultanah Bahiyah, Bandar Stargate here on Jan 19, 2019, Jan 18, 2019 and Jan 22, 2019 respectively.

They were charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code and liable to be jailed up to two years or fined, or both, under Section 465.

The prosecution was conducted by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Rehab Abdul Shukur while the three were not represented by lawyers. - Bernama