The Sessions Court in Georgetown rejected the guilty plea of a former school principal after he told the judge that he did not spent a cent of the money put in his account on himself.
Fifty-five year-old Dr P. Iskandar Abdullah was charged with criminal breach of trust involving RM15,550 belonging to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Teluk Kumbar II in Bayan Lepas.
Iskandar, who is now an inspectorate officer of the Education Ministry, said that the money had been used for scholarships, school repairs and other such expenses.
“I plead guilty but I was the principal of a school which did not have an occupation certificate. It was the practice then for the school to deposit the money into account of the head of department, which was myself. But I did not take anything,” he said when asked to make his mitigation appeal.
Judge Zanol Rashid Hussin then rejected guilty plea that Iskandar made earlier and set March 23 for mention to enable the accused to appoint a lawyer.
Iskandar is accused of depositing three cheques meant for the school into his account between Feb 26 and Dec 19 2007.
He is charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and provides for a whipping.
The judge granted bail of RM5,000 in one surety.
– Bernama
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