KOTA KINABALU: A university professor claimed trial at the Special Corruption Court today to 21 counts of making false claims for research funds related to Sabah's marine life.
Prof. Dr. Charles Santhanaraju Vairappan, 54, pleaded not guilty to all charges before Judge Abu Bakar Manat.
He was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009, punishable under Section 24 (2) of the same Act 2009.
The punishment provides for a maximum 20 years' jail and a fine five times the amount involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Charles was accused of submitting documents of claims, namely official receipts that contain false details to agents at Jabatan Bendahari Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) between May 2014 and April 2017 with intention to deceive his principal.
The receipts stated payments between RM300 and RM5,550 (totalling RM66,190) for diving activities, boat charter to several islands, and van charter, among others, when in fact there was no such expenditure.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nartiah F. Mirchelle Sambatan proposed bail of RM20,000 with a local surety.
She also asked the court to impose additional conditions for the accused to submit his international passport to court, report to the MACC office twice a month, and not tamper with the prosecution witnesses pending disposal of the case.
Lawyers Zahir Shah and Baldev Singh, who represented Charles, applied for the bail sum to be reduced on the grounds...
ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) — A Utah podiatrist and two nurses have been federally indicted on fraud charges after they allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for skin substitute services, ...