A former assistant director at the Land and Mines Department in Putrajaya, Mohd Nadzri Mohd Radzi, was sentenced to 14 days' jail and fined RM230,000 by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on four counts of deceiving his principal by falsifying claims.

Judge Rozilah Salleh handed down the sentence on Mohd Nadzri, 28, after he changed his plea to guilty today.

Mohd Nazri had initially pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the court had set a week beginning today to hear the case.

He was sentenced to 14 days' jail on each count, to be served concurrently from today.

However, Rozilah allowed Mohd Nadzri to pay the fine in installments of RM46,000 a month, to be paid on the 28th of every month for the next five months.

If he failed to pay the fine, Mohd Nadzri, who is unrepresented, could be jailed two years.

On the first charge, Mohd Nadzri was charged with intentionally altering the amount in an invoice issued by the Regency Hotel Alor Setar, Kedah, for a stay-in seminar package for the department's northern and eastern zone staff, held on April 22 to 24, 2009, from RM10,462 to RM18,360.

The second offence was for falsifying the amount in an invoice issued by M Suites Hotel for a stay-in course for the department's management staff in the southern zone and Putrajaya on May 13 to 15, 2009, by altering it to RM20,010, when the actual amount was only RM10,810.

He was charged with the third count, involving the same offence, by altering the cost of a stay-in course organised by the department at the Dynasty Hotel to RM24,995, from RM12,166.80.

On the fourth count, Mohd Nadzri was charged with altering the cost of a stay-in induction course organised by the department  on July 21 to 24, 2009, at Brisdale International Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, to RM29,900, from the actual amount of RM10,160.

All the offences were committed at the office of the land and mines director general, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Wisma Sumber Asli, No 25 Persiaran Perdana, Precinct 4, Putrajaya.

The charges were made under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

Questioned by Rozilah his reason for committing the offence, Mohd Nadzri said he had to settle a loan of RM80,000 and also to support his family.

- Bernama