GEORGE TOWN: The number of police reports made by homeowners against the Batu Ferringhi post office for alleged fraudulent activities has increased from 19 to at least 102.

Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu, who helped affected homeowners highlight the problem earlier, said the homeowners claimed bill payments made at the post office remained unsettled.

“I have compiled the names and handed them to the district office,” he said when met at the 30th Outreach Free Medical Camp at SJK (C) Pai Chai in Batu Ferringhi here.

He added that the district office was working with Pos Malaysia on their own investigations and it would try to get Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Penang Water Supply Corporation, Indah Water Konsortium, and Penang Municipal Counci to delay their warning notices against the residents and not cut off their utility supplies pending investigations.

It was earlier reported that some 50 people had stormed the Batu Ferringhi post office seeking an explanation on why utility bill payments they made there remained unsettled.

The group, which included several foreigners living in Penang under the Malaysia My Second Home programme, were informed by three employees manning the counters that the postmaster was out of town.

Police reports were lodged after they received letters from utility companies which, among others, threatened to cut off their water and electricity supply to their homes although they had made payments at the post office which was outsourced to an approved third party operator by Pos Malaysia.

Some of them were even summoned to court for allegedly failing to settle their payments.

Three female clerks were later remanded for investigation under Section 408 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust.

Pos Malaysia has since taken full control of the operations at the outlet with two of its own staff members.

Acting Commercial Crimes Department chief Supt Shaharon Anuar Abdul Latif said investigations were ongoing.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/25/nation/7290404&sec=nation

| More...