KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — A former company owner pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to two charges of submitting false documents to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for claims under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 (Penjana) programme two years ago.

On both charges, Muhammad Fauzi Abdul Latiff, 30, is charged as the owner of MFL & Associates Enterprise, to have submitted 14 names, purportedly of the company employees, to claim incentives under the Penjana programme to a Socso employment service officer Nursofieyana Muhamad Zamri.

The act was allegedly done with the intention to deceive and mislead Socso by providing documents containing false details of the 14 individuals who were actually not employees of the company.

The two offences were allegedly committed at the Employment Service Officer Unit, Socso here on March 23 and April 24, 2021.

The charge is in accordance with Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which is punishable with a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the false value or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if found guilty.

Muhammad Fauzi also faced two alternative charges of using fake documents, namely the Employees Verification Form for the Hiring Incentive under the Penjana Kerjaya programme, which he had reason to believe were false.

He was charged with committing the offence at the same place and date under Section 471 of the Penal Code which is punishable with a maximum prison sentence of two years or a fine or both, if convicted.

Judge Azura Alwi allowed him bail of RM10,000 with one surety for all charges and also ordered him to surrender his passport to the court, as well as report himself at the Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office once a month.

She set December 1 for mention.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohammad Azriff Firdaus Mohammad Ali prosecuted. — Bernama