A Jelebu Health Office assistant faces 77 charges for abuse of power and false claims involving over RM400,000.
SEREMBAN: A financial administrative assistant from the Jelebu Health Office pleaded not guilty to 77 charges of corruption and submitting false claims totalling over RM400,000.
Sharudin Ibrahim, aged 50, entered his plea before Sessions Court Judge N. Kanageswari.
He faced 15 counts of abusing his position to obtain gratification worth RM55,815 through his wife’s company.
These charges involved endorsing payments for services like maintenance, laptop rental, food catering, and souvenir purchases.
The alleged offences occurred at his workplace between October 2022 and August 2023.
These charges fall under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
Conviction carries a maximum 20-year jail term and a fine of five times the gratification amount or RM10,000.
Sharudin also faced 62 additional charges for submitting falsified documents to claim payments for non-existent services.
These false claims included catering, printing of brochures, and maintenance services worth over RM340,000.
These charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.
This section also provides for up to 20 years imprisonment and a substantial fine upon conviction.
All 62 offences were committed at the Jelebu District Health Office between October 2022 and 2023.
The court granted Sharudin bail of RM40,000 with one surety for all charges.
He was ordered to surrender his passport and report monthly to the MACC office.
The court set December 8 for the case mention.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Fatin Nur Athirah Zainuddin prosecuted the case.
Sharudin was represented by his lawyer Muhammad Irham Redzuan. – Bernama
