Source:
http://news.abnxcess.com/bm/2013/07/profesor-usm-didakwa-palsukan-tuntutan-elaun-perjalanan/ (18 July 2013)
Profesor USM didakwa palsukan tuntutan elaun
perjalanan
18 JUL 2013 11:54AM
GEORGE TOWN – Seorang profesor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen di sini hari ini terhadap tiga pertuduhan membuat
kenyataan palsu dalam tuntutan elaun perjalanan untuk tugasan rasminya pada
2010.
Prof Dr P. Ambigapathy, pensyarah Pusat Pengajian Bahasa, Literasi
dan Terjemahan USM mengaku tidak bersalah selepas pertuduhan dibacakan di
hadapan Hakim Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim.
Ambigapathy, 56, dituduh melakukan ketiga-tiga kesalahan itu di pejabat
USM dengan niat memperdayakan Pembantu Tadbir Kewangan Haryatie Zainor, dengan
menyerahkan dokumen iaitu kenyataan tuntutan elaun perjalanan dalam negeri yang
palsu bagi bulan Februari 2010 untuk tugasan rasminya dengan nilai sebanyak RM1,242.
Kesemua tuntutan perjalanan rasmi itu dibuat dengan menggunakan kereta
sendiri jenis Mercedez Benz bernombor pendaftaran PJL 1292 sedangkan
tertuduh sebenarnya menggunakan kereta jabatan jenis Proton Perdana dengan
nombor pendaftaran PHJ 6116.
Bagi pertuduhan pertama, Ambigapathy didakwa pada 10 Februari 2010 telah
mengemukakan tuntutan perjalanan rasminya bagi kerja lapangan dan mengumpul
data penyelidikan yang berlangsung pada 6 hingga 8 Februari 2010.
Bagi dua lagi pertuduhan, beliau didakwa pada 7 Jun 2010 telah
mengemukakan tuntutan perjalanan rasminya untuk kajian penyelidikan di USM
Kubang Kerian, Kelantan dan Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) pada 6 Februari
2010 dan ke Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) pada 7 Februari dan 9 Februari
2010.
Beliau didakwa mengikut Seksyen 18, Akta Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah
Malaysia (SPRM) 2009 yang memperuntukkan hukuman penjara maksimum 20
tahun atau denda tidak kurang dari lima kali ganda atau nilai butir matan yang
palsu jika dapat dinilai atau berbentuk wang atau RM10,000, mengikut mana lebih
tinggi.
Hakim Khairul Anuar membenarkan tertuduh diikat jamin RM8,000 dengan
seorang penjamin dan menetapkan 16 Ogos untuk sebutan semula kes.
Ambigapathy diwakili peguam M. Athimulan
manakala pendakwaan dilakukan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya SPRM, Janariah Abdul
Mutalib. – Bernama
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19 July 2013| last updated at 12:27AM
Lecturer
faces jail, fine over mileage claims
NOT GUILTY PLEA: He
is accused of falsely claiming RM1,242 for interstate research trips
GEORGE TOWN: AUNIVERSITI Sains Malaysia lecturer claimed trial in
the Sessions Court yesterday to three charges of making false claims amounting
to RM1,242 three years ago.
Professor Ambigapathy Pandian, a former dean at the School of
Language, Literacy and Translation in USM, was accused of committing the
offence against financial administrative assistant Haryatie Zainor, 33, at the
USM office between Feb 10 and June 7, 2010.
On the first charge, the 56-year-old was alleged to have knowingly
given Haryatie an interstate mileage allowance claim in February 2010 for
fieldwork and gathering of research data carried out between Feb 6 and 8.
He was alleged to have made the claim for using his own vehicle, a
Mercedes Benz, when he had actually used the department's Proton Perdana for
the 800km trip.
On the second charge, Ambigapathy was accused of knowingly giving
Haryatie another interstate mileage allowance claim for February 2010 for
research at USM's Kubang Kerian campus in Kelantan and Universiti Malaysia
Kelantan, as well as a trip to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) on Feb 6
and 7, 2010 respectively.
He is alleged to have made the claim on June 7, 2010, when
actually the mileage claim had already been paid to him on March 23, 2010.
On the third count, he was charged with knowingly submitting to
Haryatie an interstate mileage allowance claim for a trip to UMT on Feb 8, 2010
to carry out a study when in fact he had not gone there.
The offences, under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act, carries a
maximum 20 years' jail and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the
claim, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Dressed in a yellow shirt and cream-coloured pants, Ambigapathy
appeared calm when the charges were read out to him. Deputy public prosecutor Janariah Abdul Mutalib, who appeared for
MACC, asked for bail to be set at RM10,000 on all three charges.
M. Athimulan, who represented Ambigapathy, asked for the amount to
be lowered, stating that his client had served in USM for 30 years and that he
was still lecturing as a professor at the university as well as supervising
doctorate students.
Athimulan also told the court that the offences committed by his
client were simple technical mistakes. Judge Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim set bail
at RM8,000 in one surety and fixed Aug 16 for mention.
Prof
Ambigapathy Pandian leaving the Sessions Court after being charged with three
counts of making false claims yesterday. Pic by Asman Ibrahim
Read more: Lecturer faces jail, fine over mileage claims - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/lecturer-faces-jail-fine-over-mileage-claims-1.322125?cache=%253Fpage%253D0%252F7.197525%3Fkey%3DMalaysia%3Fkey%3DMalaysia%3Fkey%3DKuala+Lumpur%2F7.325431%2F7.325431%2F7.325431%2F7.325431#ixzz2ZSd0hak0
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COMMENTS:
What is ALL this? Of ALL the corrupted politicians and corporate leaders
that get away with millions of ringgit worth of tax evasion and
corrupted money, SPRM has to spend a large amount of resources of manpower and
pay their officials (travelling expenses, logging, meals) worth at least a few
hundreds (each personnel), and multiple that by 2-5 officials who must go down
and interrogate/investigate the professor concerned (plus desk staff's
salaries, plus paper works costs, etc.), just for what? So that they can nab a
professor in USM who is alleged to falsely claim mileage of RM1242 ?!
I just thought that the professor might have discriminate someone or
make someone upset enough, so much so, that the individual concerned spent much
times complying enough paper evidences to launch a compliant with SPRM.
Lesson to be learnt is, ‘NO one is indispensable.’ Even IF you are a
professor, so you need to treat your staff well – every time. Administrative
staff too should not be too proud, they are dispensable as well ! Work with integrity and be happy with your
salary (as per your qualification) is the teaching of all religion.
I just thought, an INTERNAL enquiry by the Dean or Vice-Chancellor,
where a stern warning be giving to the professor concerned, or worst case
scenario, ‘advise’ the professor to ‘resign’ from service, or further action be
taken. Court action is too much, especially for the professor who has spent almost 30 years in service for USM. Crime is crime, but still humane consideration can also be given. Also by doing that, the ‘corporate image’ of USM will also be safeguard.
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