Kota Kinabalu: A former Rela officer from Tenom was charged with 18 counts of submitting false claims amounting to RM63,000 over for the assignment allowances for the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Venantius Masingga, 63, pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court Judge Jason Juga, to all the charges against him on Friday.
On the first to 18 counts, Venantius is accused of submitting MCO assignment allowance claims under the names of his wife and children who actually never performed their duties during the MCO with the intention of deceiving the Director of RELA Sabah.
He allegedly committed the offence between March 2020 and August 2021 at the RELA Sabah Headquarters.
The offence under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years, or a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The court set Apr 22 this year for a mention and released Venantius on bail of RM15,000, with RM2,000 to be deposited in a local surety.
Venantius was also ordered to report to MACC’s office every month until the disposal of his case, his passport, if any, to be kept by the court and the court reminded him to not tamper with the prosecution witnesses.
MACC Prosecuting Officer Rekhraj Singh appeared for the prosecution while Venantius was not represented.