KUCHING: A 39-year-old man was sentenced to 40 months in jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to fraud for the payment of driving class fees on Friday (Sept 25).
Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Supt Maria Rasid told that the man was charged in the Kuching Magistrate’s Court with 15 charges under Section 403 of the Penal Code.
The accused committed the crime in Kuching between May 2019 and August this year, where the accused acted as a driving school instructor and instructed the victims, namely driving class students to make the alleged payment for driving class test fees.
“Subsequently, when the victims made payment to the accused in cash and transferred to the bank account, the payment was not handed over by the accused to the employer but instead used for the personal purposes of the accused.
“As a result, the accused was arrested in Kuching on Sept 23 by a police team,” she said in a statement.
Maria explained that a total of 13 investigation papers, were opened against the accused involving the sum totalling RM8,450 which the amount of loss in the case.
The prosecution was conducted in three separate court rooms, namely Prosecuting Officer Inspector Adzmei Ahmad before Magistrate 1 Kuching Mohd Syukri Mohktar; Prosecuting Officer ASP Rogayah before Magistrate 2 Kuching Morni Linta Mohktar as Registrar of Magistrate Court 2 replacing Zubaidah Sharkawi; and Prosecuting Officer Inspector Merylene Lindan in front of Magistrate 3 Kuching Zaiton Annuar.
The accused, who was not represented, pleaded guilty to all 15 charges read pertaining to the case.
Magistrate 1 Mohd Syukri Mohktar sentenced the accused to 10 months’ imprisonment and a whipping for five charges.
Magistrate 2 Morni Linta Mohktar has set the case re-mention date on Sept 29, and offered a cash bail of RM3,000 with two local sureties for five charges and ordered the accused to be placed in Puncak Borneo prison until the re-mention date.
Magistrate 3 Zaiton Annuar sentenced the accused to six months imprisonment and a whipping for every five charges.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charges and will be placed in Puncak Borneo prison to serve his sentence.
