USM Professor charged with making false travel claims valued at RM1,242
GEORGE TOWN: A professor in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) claimed trial in a Sessions Court here to three charges of intending to deceive his organisation by making false travel claims.
Prof Ambigapathy Pandian, 56, who is the dean of USM's School of Language, Literacy and Translation was alleged to have committed the offences on Feb 10, 2010 and June 7, 2010 at an office in USM, Gelugor in the northeast district.
The claims that he made were valued at RM1,242.
He was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) and punishable under Section 24 of the same act.
The offence, if found guilty, carries a maximum 20 years jail and a minimum fine of RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher.
Judge Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim set bail at RM8,000 in one surety and fixed Aug 16 for mention.
DPP Janariah Abdul Mutalib prosecuted, while lawyer M. Athimulan represented Ambigapathy.
My 2 cents,
To think that his life will never be the same again.
I remember reading such kind of news when I was still in NZ, they will not allow you to name the person like this. Usually they will only just say - a professor etc. I perplexed at why they would choose to ruin a man's a career for such a small amount of money (relatively speaking).
Take court action against him, fine him, tell him to repay the amount - not destroy his reputation.
In Islam, we are taught not to expose the weaknesses of our brothers in embarrassing ways. That does not mean to let him get away with crime. He is punished, yes, but accordingly for his crime. Reputation, on the other hand, is something you will never get back.
There is a fine line between wanting expose a criminal (which I totally support) and undeservingly destroy someone's reputation.
I believe this falls in the latter.
And to ruin someone's career over this paltry sum, when you leave the real criminals unpunished? Shame on you.
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