Two years jail for Ex Teratai Assemblyman for false claims
The judge (Justice Ong) also issued a warrant of committal against Yap for him to begin his jail sentence today.
(Bernama) – Former Selangor state assemblyman for Teratai Yap Soo Sun was sent to jail for two years after he lost his final appeal at the Court of Appeal to set aside his conviction for making false payment claims involving RM70,000 in Putrajaya today.
A three-man panel chaired by Justice Vernon Ong Lam Kiat also upheld the Sessions Court’s order to fine the 51-year-old former Gerakan assemblyman a total of RM350,000.
Yap was found guilty by the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Nov 3, 2011, on seven counts of making false payment claims at the Hulu Langat district office on Jan 19, 2008 and Feb 4, 2008.
He lost his appeal at the High Court which had, on May 22 last year, affirmed the Sessions Court decision.
In dismissing Yap’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence, Justice Ong said the court found that there were no merits in his appeal and that the jail sentence meted out on him by the Sessions Court was not excessive.
The judge (Justice Ong) also issued a warrant of committal against Yap for him to begin his jail sentence today. Yap was out of bail pending his appeal after obtaining a stay of execution of his conviction and jail sentence.
Yap who wore a light green Baju Melayu and a kopiah looked calm when the verdict was handed down by the court.
Yap and his former special assistant Mohd Firdaus Abu Zarin, 49, were charged with making false claims for a total of RM40,000 purportedly for Thaipusam celebrations for the communities in Taman Bukit Teratai, Taman Pandan Perdana, Taman Bukit Segar, Cheras Hartamas and Taman Putra on Jan 23, 2008, which in fact never took place at all.
They were also charged with further submitting false claims for RM30,000 purportedly for Chinese New Year programmes for the communities in Taman Bukit Segar, Cheras Hartamas, Taman Putra and Taman Bukit Teratai on Feb 10, 2008. No such programmes were organised.
Mohd Firdaus was also jailed two years and fined RM350,000 by the Sessions Court after he was found guilty for abetting Yap to commit the offence. He did not appeal to the Court of Appeal after the High Court upheld his conviction and jail sentence.
Yap was represented by lawyer Afifuddin Ahmad Hafifi while deputy public prosecutor Norzilati Izhani Zainal appeared for the prosecution.
