Probe reveals former member took RM180,000 from children’s home

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — THE RM180,000 said to be missing from the coffers of a home for abused and neglected children in Petaling Jaya has been traced to a former committee member.

Evangelical Lutheran Church Malaysia (ELCM) Bishop Dr Solomon Rajah, who is also Rumah Hope’s adviser, said the home’s management committee initiated an internal investigation and confronted the former member.

“I would like to clarify that the RM180,000 is not missing but has been traced to be the doing of a former Rumah Hope committee member. As spiritual adviser of Rumah Hope, I urged the management committee to seek restitution and rehabilitation for the person concerned instead of pushing for deterrent measures,” Solomon said in a statement.

“The internal probe has been completed and the erring party has accepted responsibility for any misappropriation of funds during his tenure. The former committee member has promised to return the money by the end of the year, with proper legal measures already in place.”

Rumah Hope houses 52 abused and neglected children and is a social institution under Evangelical Lutheran Church Malaysia

Its acting chairman, Jacob Mathew, said steps were being taken to reassure those who contribute to the home.

“We are meeting the donors to clarify the situation. We have also briefed the Welfare Department,” he said.

Mathew lodged a police report on Sept 12, claiming the former committee member had forged his signature on the cheques. This was admitted by the member in a statutory declaration signed on Sept 27.

The declaration also revealed the former member had taken RM220,000 from Rumah Hope’s accounts.

The Malay Mail reported the missing funds on Nov 6 after receiving documents and copies of cheques addressed to a Rumah Hope committee member.

Rumah Hope treasurer R. Krishamoorthy and former director Paul Manickam discovered discrepancies in the accounts between November 2011 and July this year, when 48 cheques for RM180,000 were issued.

They alerted the management committee and lodged police reports.