KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — A cleaning company director was fined RM300,000 by the Sessions Court here today, for deceiving a Social Security Organisation (Socso) agent on the Hiring Incentive Programme, amounting to RM236,080, two years ago.

Judge Azura Alwi handed down the sentence on M.Karthikesan, 44, after he pleaded guilty to the five charges.

The court also ordered the accused to serve 79 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.

According to the first to fifth charges, Karthikesan, as the owner of Syarikat Murudana Sdn Bhd and Profit Sonata Sdn Bhd, was accused to have deceived the Socso agent into believing that 20 individuals on the list of employees on the Hiring Incentive Programme Employee verification form, dated May 12 and May 4, 2021, were in the company’s name, whom he knew were not employees of the company.

The act prompted Socso to transfer RM236,080 into two bank accounts of the accused companies.

He was charged with committing the offence at Wisma Perkeso, Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Selangor Seksyen 6, Petaling Jaya, between May 19, 2021, and May 22, 2021, under Section 417 of the Penal Code. — Bernama