AN assistant medical officer at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh, Pahang was charged in the Sessions Court today with 12 counts of receiving gratification amounting to RM3,350 over managing funeral arrangements of deceased patients. 

Moh Roffi Ab Rahman, 57, pleaded not guilty to all the charges before Judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain. 

He was charged with accepting between RM100 to RM800, which were deposited into his account via online transactions between April 8, 2021 and March 3, 2022 by two individuals involved in managing funeral arrangements. 

The charges were framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code which provides a maximum prison sentence of two years or a fine or both, if convicted. 

Ahmad Zamzani allowed him bail of RM7,000 with one surety and also ordered him to surrender his passport to the court. 

The court set November 27 for mention. 

Earlier, lawyer Shahidah Muslimah Roslan requested low bail, saying her client, who earned RM2,500 a month, was the sole breadwinner in his family. 

“The accused has five children with two of them suffering from chronic illness. One of the accused’s children had cancer and died on March 14 while the other had heart disease which required regular treatment at the National Heart Institute 

“The accused has served in the public sector since 1992 and throughout that period, has never been subject to disciplinary action. He was awarded the Excellent Service Award three times,” she said. – Bernama, October 19, 2023.