PETRONAS Employee Sentenced To 3 Years Imprisonment For Lying That 14 Family Members Had Died From Covid-19

A contract supervisor at the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex was sentenced to three years in prison, with RM16,000 fine after pleading guilty to two charges of deceiving two colleagues to obtain RM8,357 in donations by claiming his family members died of Covid-19. Zahazan was charged with both offences between 5:20pm and 9:25pm at the Pengerang Integrated Complex Security Division on 3rd September.

Mohd Zahazan Zainon pleaded guilty in front of Magistrate Nurmadiana Mamat at the Kota Tinggi Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (8th September). The 45-year-old offender was also sentenced to two strokes of the cane after he admitted to the offences yesterday.

Zahazan who is based in Pengerang, Johor recently alleged that 14 of his family members had succumbed to Covid-19 virus between June last year and earlier this month. In a previous statement, police stated that as a result of the false claims, Zahazan had received RM91,000 in donations including donations from the public.

Berita Harian reported that Zahazan was accused of deceiving a colleague by falsely claiming that his family had died of the virus. The colleague then fell victim to the lie and was induced to deposit RM7,857 into Zahazan’s bank account. He was also charged with another similar offence to another colleague who deposited RM500 into his account as a form of donation.

For the first charge, he was sentenced to one stroke of the cane, three years in jail from the date of his arrest and RM15,000 fine or imprisonment if the fine could not be fulfilled. For the second charge, Zahazan was sentenced to a year imprisonment from the date of his arrest, one stroke of the cane and RM1,000 fine or imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine. The court had ordered for both sentences to run concurrently.

Zahazan’s lawyer, Nurul Hidayah Mohd Asri earlier applied for a lighter sentence owing to the fact that it was his first offence and he had to support his six children. However, deputy public prosecutor Nursyamim Fateha Mohd Amin applied for a heavier sentence on the ground that public interest should be taken into account in the case.

Magistrate Nurmadiana Mamat passed the sentence after the offender pleaded guilty to two charges under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating which provides for a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.

Sources: BH Online, FMT

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