A 55-year-old nurse at a maternal and child health clinic was granted RM10,000 bail after pleading not guilty to forging 10 medical certificates.
PEKAN: A nurse at a maternal and child health clinic pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here today to forging 10 medical certificates (MCs) between March and April this year.
Zaleha Ismail, 55, is accused of forging the MCs purportedly issued by a medical officer at the Kuala Pahang Community Clinic here between March 1 and April 27.
The charge was framed under Section 465 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of two years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Sarah Aqilah Lokman proposed bail of RM15,000 with one surety, citing the seriousness of the offence, the accused’s status as a civil servant and the public interest.
Defence counsel Ahmad Deniel Roslan, from the National Legal Aid Foundation, sought an appropriate bail amount, taking into account the accused’s financial situation and personal commitments.
He said the accused, a nurse earning about RM3,500 a month, was the sole breadwinner for her family, with her husband unable to work after suffering a stroke and two school-going children under her care.
Magistrate Melody Woon Sze Mun set bail at RM10,000 with one surety and imposed an additional condition requiring the accused to report to the Pekan District Police Headquarters once a month until the conclusion of the case.
The court fixed Nov 23 for mention of the case.