A CATERING service provider was fined RM50,000 by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to submitting a false claim to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme involving RM170,400.

Judge Elesabet Paya Wan also ordered Mohd Eszahar Mansor, 38, to serve 10 months in jail if he fails to pay the fine.

Eszahar was accused of submitting an employee verification form in the name of Eszahar Maju Enterprise to verify that 30 people registered under the programme as permanent staff at his company when all of them only worked part-time.

The offence was committed at the Malacca Socso office on April 21, 2021.

Investigations found that the proceeds from the claim were used by the accused himself.

The charge, framed under section 471 of the penal code and punishable under section 465 of the same law, provides for a maximum prison sentence of two years, or a fine, or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamad Ali requested a deterrent sentence that will serve as a lesson to the public not to misuse the incentives.

He also requested that the payment for a gold bracelet and the remaining incentive money amounting to RM378,211.37 seized from the company’s account be forfeited to the government.

The accused, represented by lawyer Azrul Zulkifli Stork, appealed for a lighter sentence on the grounds that he had a family to support. – Bernama, February 10, 2023.