TNB's subsidiary company manager pleads not guilty to submitting false allowance claims

KUALA LUMPUR (April 12): A Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) subsidiary company manager was charged in the Sessions Court on Tuesday with submitting false lodging and subsistence allowance claims amounting to RM1,855 two years ago.

Norhayati Hamzah, 50, pleaded not guilty to the main and alternative charges read out to her before judge Rozina Ayub.

On the first count, Norhayati as a manager of TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd was charged with submitting four documents containing false lodging and subsistence allowance claims between Dec 22, 2019 and Feb 5, 2020 totalling RM1,855 with the intention of deceiving the company's audit and compliance department manager, Mohd Kamal Zulkawi.

The documents with the false details were used by Norhayati to confuse Mohd Kamal while the accused knew that the trip and stay were not made.

The offences were allegedly committed at the TNB Power Generation's office at Bangunan Penjanaan in Jalan Bangsar, here, between Jan 17 and Feb 26, 2020.

She was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and can be punished under Section 24(2) of the same act, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the false claim sum or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Norhayati also faces an alternative charge of using four genuine documents containing lodging and subsistence allowance claims which she knew were false, with the offence committed at the same time and place. The offence under Section 471 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 465 carries a jail sentence of up to two years or a fine or both, if convicted.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Fadhli Ab Wahab, offered bail of RM10,000 with one surety and two additional conditions — that the accused surrender her passport to the court and to report herself at the nearest MACC office.

Lawyer K Komagan, representing Norhayati, asked for a lower bail of RM3,000 to RM5,000 as his client is still working with TNB Power Generation and has no disciplinary issues with the company.

The court allowed the accused bail of RM8,000 with one surety and the two additional conditions as requested by the prosecution, and set May 12 for case mention.