KOTA KINABALU, March 7 — A project manager pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to three counts of forging documents to obtain payment amounting to RM46,848,713 from the Sabah Public Works Department between 2016 and 2018.
Victor Voo Chung Sain, 51, a manager at Pembinaan Azam Jaya Sdn Bhd, made the plea before Judge Jason Juga.
On the first count, he is charged with dishonestly using a forged document as genuine, namely billed items, which contained false details, to obtain payment totalling RM394,915.56 between December 30, 2016, and January 2017, for the construction of an elevated interchange and third lane project, the Jalan Lintas/Jalan Kolam/Jalan Tuaran Batu 5 ½ intersection.
The accused is also charged with committing a similar offence involving a similar document for payment amounting to RM425,293.68 for the same construction project to the Public Works Department between July 31, 2017, and August 1, 2017.
On the third count, Voo is charged with committing a similar offence involving a site measurement for the project, which contained a forged signature submitted to the Sabah Public Works Department on April 24, 2018, to obtain payment for the contract worth RM46,028,504.04.
The charges, framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 468 of the same Code, provide imprisonment for up to seven years and a fine upon conviction.
The prosecution was conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) prosecuting officer Rekhraj Singh, while the accused was represented by lawyers Datuk Ram Singh and Prem Elmer Ganasan.
The court set April 14 for mention and allowed the accused bail of RM15,000 with one local surety, alongside an order for the accused to report to the MACC office every two months, not to interfere with witnesses, and to surrender his passport.
— Bernama
