KOTA KINABALU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Eight medical assistants from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's ophthalmology clinic in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, pleaded guilty on Thursday (Feb 1) to making fraudulent overtime claims totalling RM126,757.54 (S$42,400).

The eight accused - Mohd Rosidih Mohd Said, 38, Zulkifli Arun, 28, Terence Linchos, 38, Juraineh Musalim, 27, Jaduin Untop, 30, Noor Salim Mohd Zin, 27, Mohd Akmal Hafiz Mohamad Ariff, 26, and Naza Fadirul @Mick Ab Satar, 33 - admitted to making the fake claims between January and May 2016.

It is learnt that Naza had the most claims with RM22,216.61, followed by Jaduin (RM19,992.63), Terence (RM18,829.44), Mohd Rosidih (RM16,696.10), Zulkifli (RM14,065.91), Noor Salim (RM13,466.89) and Mohd Akmal with RM12,842.26.

Juraineh was charged with three counts of making false overtime claims amounting to RM8,647.40.

Judge Abu Bakar Manat adjourned the sentencing to Feb 8 following an application by the lawyer of one of the accused to prepare for mitigation before sentencing.

The charges against them were framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code, which is punishable under Section 465 of the same Code and carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine or to both, upon conviction.

All eight were charged last August and had initially claimed trial to stiffer charges under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

They individually faced a jail term of up to 20 year, or fine of not less than five times the sum in question under the stiffer charges.