KANGAR: Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli's son today claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to a charge of submitting false claims worth RM19,505.10 for the supply of drinks for the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail in February.

Mohd Syafeeq Mohd Shukri, 35, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read before Judge Norsalha Hamzah by the court interpreter.

According to the charge sheet, Mohd Syafeeq is alleged to have submitted a government order document under the name Mohd Farid Abdul Hamid, worth RM19,505.10, for the supply of drinks to Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, despite knowing that it contained false details.

Syafeeq is accused of submitting the claims to Nurul Nabilah Mohd Sukri, an administrative assistant at the District Administrative Unit in the State Secretary's Office, with the intention of misleading her superior on Feb 19.

The accused, who appeared calm in the dock, is alleged to have submitted the government supply document 24AYPT0300022 dated Feb 14, 2024 under Mohd Farid Abdul Hamid's name for drinks that were purportedly supplied to Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin at the hospital, despite having knowledge that it contained false details.

The charge was framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

The offence is punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act, which carries maximum 20 years jail and a fine no less than five times the amount of the false claim or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if found guilty.

Deputy public prosecutor from MACC Rehab Abdul Shukur who appeared for the prosecution, proposed to the court to fix bail at RM30,000 and order the accused to surrender his passport to the court and to report himself to the Kangar MACC office every month throughout the trial process.

In mitigation, lawyer Mohd Fadhly Yaacob who represented the accused, pleaded for a lower amount as his client has a wife and a child to support, from his combined income of RM1,500 each month as a padi farmer and from selling LPG gas.

He also told the court that his client had been cooperating with the MACC and had no risk of jumping bail.

The court subsequently fixed the bail at RM20,000 with one surety and set June 28 for the mention.

On April 24, it was reported that MACC detained six individuals including Syafeeq to assist in the investigation related to the implementation of infrastructure development projects, such as repair and maintenance work, supplies and services, throughout Perlis since 2022 amounting to RM600,000.

Yesterday, the MACC released a media coverage invitation letter, to notify that it has obtained permission to charge a company owner and a former political secretary in two separate courts today.

According to the letter, the company owner will be charged in the Kangar Sessions Court while the former political secretary will be charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/05/1054197/updated perlis-mbs-son-claims-trial-submitting-rm19505-worth-false