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A RETIRED government officer and a former chairman of a Petaling temple were today charged in the Sessions Court over allegations of submitting fraudulent claims amounting to RM50,000 for repair works at the Sri Sakthi Easwari Temple five years ago.
The 65-year-old retired civil servant, M Thiruselvam, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.
He is accused of using a falsified invoice dated 15 November 2021 to claim payment for consultancy services related to “Majlis Approval For New Yaga Salai, Resolving Leaking Work For Poorviga Amman and Resolving Leaking Work For Main Temple (Vinayagar Sanathi, Easwari Sanathi and Murugan Sanathi)" as presented in court.
The invoice was allegedly submitted to the 64-year-old temple secretary on 22 November 2021 at the temple premises.
The offence is charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code and carries a maximum penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both under Section 465 of the same code if convicted.
The court allowed Thiruselvam bail of RM5,000 with one surety and set 11 May for the next mention of the case.
In a separate session of the same court, a former temple chairman, 70-year-old P Selvam, also pleaded not guilty to charges of abetting the same fraudulent claim on the same date and at the same location.
He was granted bail of RM15,000 by Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.
The prosecution’s application to have Selvam’s case transferred to be heard before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir on the same date as Thiruselvam was approved.
The prosecution was conducted by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officer Muhammad Arif Asyraf Mohd Khairi.
Thiruselvam was represented by lawyer N Lalitha, while Selvam was represented by lawyer M Segaran. - April 6, 2026