KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — A former director of a rice company was charged in the Sessions Court here, today, with 28 counts of submitting false claims, for financing the purchase of rice, to Agrobank Berhad, amounting to more than RM8.9 million.

Fikri Abu Bakar, 58, pleaded not guilty after all the charges against him were read before Judge Suzana Hussin.

According to the charges, Fikri, as the director of Fikri Rice Sdn Bhd, through his company’s staff, submitted 28 invoices, totalling more than RM8.9 million, to claim Trade Working Capital Financing Islamic financing facilities for the purchase of rice, to the agent of Agrobank Berhad.

However, the invoices contained false statements, and no rice was purchased by the company.

All the offences were allegedly committed at Menara Wisma Maran, here, between November 18, 2019 and January 16, 2020.

All charges are framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which can be punished under Section 24 (2) of the same law, which carries a maximum jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the claims or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Fikri, who is also the son of the founder of the rice company, is also facing 28 alternative charges. He is alleged to have used 28 fake invoices, involving a similar amount (RM8.9 million), at the same place and date.

For the alternative charges, he is charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code, and can be punished under Section 465 of the same law which carries a maximum jail term of two years or a fine, or both, if convicted.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor, Mohammad Fadhly Mohd Zamry, did not offer bail on the grounds that the offence is non-bailable.

“If the court uses its discretion to grant bail, the prosecution proposes bail of RM200,000 in one surety for 28 charges, with additional conditions that the accused must report to the MACC Office in Putrajaya once a month and surrender his passport to the court, as well as not disturbing the prosecution’s witnesses until the disposal of the case,” he said.

Lawyer Muhammad Nizamuddin Abdul Hamid, who represented the accused, appealed for a lower bail on the grounds that his client supports his family and is a diabetic patient.

“Yesterday, my client was just discharged from the hospital due to a bone infection in his big toe, and he also does not have stable finances and is unable to pay the amount of bail proposed by the prosecution.

“Therefore, I am requesting bail of RM50,000, in addition to not objecting to the additional conditions,” he said.

The court allowed the accused a bail of RM100,000 in one surety for all charges, with additional conditions as requested by the prosecution, and fixed March 25 for the mention of the case for the submission of documents. — Bernama