Couple claims trial to six forgery charges

TAWAU: A couple was charged in the Special Corruption Court here Thursday with six counts of forging documents to obtain a school canteen project three years ago.

Barmah Wati Hassan, 38, and Mohammad Endra Abd Sarakal, 39, pleaded not guilty before Judge Abu Bakar Manat after each charge was read to them. The judge earlier declared the case to be mentioned in the Semporna court sitting in the Tawau court at the request of the prosecution as the incident had allegedly taken place in the district.

On the first charge, the couple allegedly used a fake document, namely an E-Pah Corporation’s business licence, Application No.: 1378/2017, to obtain a tender to rent and manage the SK Gelam-Gelam, Semporna canteen for a period of two years from Feb 1, 2017 to Jan 31, 2019 at the Semporna District Education Office on Jan 25, 2017.

The couple, on the same date and at the same place, was also charged with using a false document, namely a Company Registration Declaration Certificate No.: KS5388587260877421, Reference No.: 357-20006350, in the name of E-Pah Corporation to apply for the same project.

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On the third charge, the two were accused of using a false Certificate of Registration of a Bumiputera Company No.: KS5388587260877421, Reference No.: 357-20006350, in the name of the same company to tender for the same project.

On the third, fourth and fifth charges, the couple was accused of using three fake Maybank Islamic Current Account Statements in the name of the same company dated Oct 31, Nov 30 and Dec 31, 2016 for the same purpose.

All the offences were framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code which is punishable under Section 468, read in conjunction with Section 34 of the same code. The section provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.

The court set Sept 4 for re-mention of the case and issued bail of RM10,000 with a deposit of RM3,000 each (totalling RM6,000) on additional conditions that the accused report once every two months to the Tawau Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) office, their international passports be held by the court and the accused prohibited from approaching witnesses before and during the trial.

Earlier, the MACC’s Prosecuting Officer Clementine Severinus requested the court to issue bail of RM20,000 to the two accused on additional conditions.

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The husband and wife, in their appeal, requested that the bail be reduced because they depended on irregular income from selling cakes.

“We can only afford RM1,000 because the income from selling cakes is not fixed and our house was razed. As the eldest child, I have been taking care of my mother who has diabetes after my father died,” said one of them, who had not got a lawyer to represent them.

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