KUCHING: An unemployed man was slapped with a fine of RM3,500 in default seven months in prison by the Magistrate’s Court for stealing cash from the mosque fund amounting to RM350 for personal purposes.
Zairy, 33, from Kampung Pasir Panjang, pleaded guilty to three charges which were read before Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali.
According to the first and second charges, he was charged with taking cash from the mosque’s donation fund in Kampung Buntal two days in a row on July 6 and 7, at around 3.08 pm and 4.20 pm with a total of RM350.
For that, he was charged under to Section 379 of the Penal Code, if convicted, he could be sentenced to imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine or both.
On the third offence, he was charged under to Section 379 of the same code and was read together with Section 511 for stealing cash again from the fund of the same mosque at around 4.13 pm on July 16.
The court sentenced the accused to a fine of RM1,000 or two months in prison each for the first and third charges, while for the second charge, he was sentenced to a fine of RM1,500 or three months in prison.
Based on the facts of the case, the complainant who is the mosque treasurer together with the mosque committee have reviewed the CCTV footage and found that a man who is known to have stolen the donation money from the mosque fund three times using a stick.
The mosque lost RM350 from the donation fund and a police report was then made for further action and investigation leading to the arrest of the accused at his residence at around 11.55 am on July 17.
It is understood that Mohd Zairy confessed to have stolen the money for personal purposes.
The prosecution of the case was handled by prosecuting officer Inspector Nur Syafiqa Nyaie Ilin while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.
