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KUANTAN – Two former civil servants attached with the Pahang state secretary’s office were charged at the sessions court here today with 29 counts of performing unauthorised modifications to the content of the website of the Pahang honours and awards management system two years ago.
Mohd Isa Mohd Yusof, 36, and Muhammad Amer Syafeeq Aziz, 30, who worked as an operations assistant and administrative assistant respectively, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to them before judge Maimoonah Aid.
Isa from Felda Sg Panching Timur here faces 26 charges for crimes allegedly committed between February 19, 2020, and October 12, 2021, at the Pahang office.
Amer, who faces three charges, was alleged to have committed the offence between August 18, 2021, and October 4 this year at the same place.
The duo allegedly used their identification numbers to enter the names of 29 individuals as recipients of state awards conferred by the sultan of Pahang into the website’s system, without being authorised to do so.
All these individuals were not actually listed as recipients of Pahang awards, namely the Darjah Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang which carries the title of “Datuk Seri” and Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang, which carries the title of “Datuk”.
Isa and Amer were charged under Section 5 (1) of the Computer Crimes Act 1997 and can be punished under Section 5 (4) of the same act, which provides a fine up to RM100,000 or a maximum jail sentence of seven years, or both, upon conviction.
During mitigation, Isa, who was unrepresented, appealed to the court to reduce the RM10,000 bail offered by the prosecution for each charge on the grounds that he could only afford to raise RM20,000.
Meanwhile, lawyer Noor Azmi Kasani, representing Amer, pleaded for the bail to be reduced as the accused, who is also from Kuantan, was only working part-time after his service was terminated on June 30.
“The accused only earns an income of between RM500 and RM700 per month. His wife is also unemployed and pregnant and they also have another child,” he said.
Maimoonah allowed Isa and Amer bail of RM130,000 and RM15,000 with one surety each, and fixed February 13 for mention.
Pahang prosecution director Abdul Ghafar Ab Latif and deputy public prosecutor Fathin Nadhirah Kasim prosecuted. – Bernama, December 28, 2022