JOHOR BAHRU: A former construction company director was fined RM31,000 by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to four charges of submitting false documents to the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) to claim incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme amounting to RM62,120 three years ago.
Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail imposed the penalty on A Mohana Sundharam, 35, who is also a youth leader of a political party in the state, and ordered that he be sentenced to three months in prison in default of the fine.
On Nov 14 last year, Mohana Sundharam and his ex-wife, a former director of an import-export company, P Poowesna, 36, pleaded not guilty to four charges of colluding to provide the Employee Confirmation Form under the name of TMB Resources, to claim the incentive under Perkeso’s Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme.
They were accused of submitting the document to deceive Perkeso officials, at the Perkeso Employment Services Division here on May 30, 2021, knowing it contained false information, namely the names of ten new non-existent employees.
They were charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to five times the amount involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Nur Zahida Muhammad Ruzi and MACC prosecuting officer Rais Adha Ramli appeared for the prosecution, while Mohana Sundharam was represented by lawyer Abdul Rahim Ali.
On July 10, Poowesna pleaded guilty to the four charges and was fined RM21,000, in default one month in prison.
Mohana Sundharam was absent from the proceedings after being granted medical leave from a private hospital due to food poisoning.
