SIBU: The Magistrate’s Court today fined a 31-year-old man RM1,200, in default two months’ imprisonment, for stealing a mobile phone.
Dickson Jeleman from Bawang Assan pleaded guilty to the charge before Magistrate Mohd Syukri Mokhtar. He opted to go to jail as he could not pay the fine.
He was charged with stealing an OPPO A5 mobile phone from a counter at Urban Tranformation Centre (UTC) Sibu.
The offence framed under Section 379 of the Penal Code carries a jail term that may extend to seven years or fine or both upon conviction.
Prosecuting officer Insp Badrul Iskandar Selamat told the court that on April 4 at about 9.15 am at counter 11 (for payment of water bill) of UTC Sibu, the complainant, 45, realised that his mobile phone was missing after he finished paying his bill.
He suspected that it had been taken by an unknown person and estimated his loss at approximately RM350. A police report was subsequently lodged.
During investigation, CCTV footage was obtained by the police from the customer service officer of UTC Sibu.
The recording showed that on April 4 between 9.14 am and 9.22 am, the complainant was at counter 11 to pay his water bill.
After settling the bill, the complainant left and headed towards the waiting room to line up at counter 9 to pay his electricity bill.
The mobile phone he was holding was left on the table of counter 11, and the accused came to counter 11, also to paying his water bill.
Insp Badrul told the court that the accused saw the mobile phone and picked it up while looking left and right before putting it inside his waist pouch and walked away.
Acting on information received, police arrested the accused at about 4pm on the same day and seized from him the stolen mobile phone.
It was learnt that the accused paid the fine this afternoon.
