BUTTERWORTH: A disabled man pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court today, to a charge of submitting a suspected fraudulent insurance claim, valued at RM1 million, last year.
Tan Kok Guan, 52, who is visually impaired, was charged with intentionally causing injury to his left eye in order to obtain a compensation payout of RM1 million, in Kampung Gajah, between 9 am and 6 pm on June 8, 2023.
The father of three, who is also unemployed, made the plea after it was read out before Magistrate Siti Zulaikha Nordin @ Ghani.
Tan also faces another charge of deceiving an insurance company by making a suspected fraudulent claim, resulting in a deposit of RM4,153.57 being transferred to his Maybank account. The alleged offence occurred between 9 am and 6 pm in Kampung Paya, on July 20, 2023.
Both charges are framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 511, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, whipping, and shall also be liable to a fine upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Airina Syazreena Zainurin proposed bail of RM16,000 for both charges.
Lawyer Yaw Xinping, representing the accused, appealed for a reduced bail on the grounds that her client is unemployed, and relying on his wife’s income to support their family.
Yaw also said that her client is a person with disabilities, is blind in his left eye, suffers from heart disease and stroke, and has fully cooperated with the police throughout the investigation.
The court allowed bail to be set at RM10,000 in one surety for both charges and fixed Feb 20 for mention and submission of documents.
