KUCHING: The Sessions Court here yesterday imposed a RM26,450 fine in default of six months in prison on a Turtle Management Board employee for illegal possession of 529 protected turtle eggs.
The 22-year-old Norashwan Sulaiman pleaded guilty to the charges under Section 37(1) of the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998, which, read together with Section 37(2)(a) and Section 29(1)(c), carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a fine up to RM25,000 per individual animal part.
Judge Iris Awen Jon determined the fine based on an amount of RM50 for each egg. The eggs, belonging to the Cheloniidae species — a category granted total protection under the ordinance — were discovered without licence by wildlife authorities.
The arrest occurred near the Trusan Jaya jetty in Sematan at approximately 12.30 pm on October 11 last year, following surveillance by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).
Upon inspection, SFC officials found 261 eggs in a black waterproof bag and 268 in a blue one, neither accompanied by any justification nor written permission for possession.
The prosecution was led by DPP Christie Sereni Philimon, with Norashwan appearing in court without legal representation.
