KUCHING: The Magistrates’ Court here fined a 54-year-old man RM1,000, in default one month in prison, for the illegal possession of RM5,000 in his personal account.
Ng Hock Cheng pleaded guilty before Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi to a charge framed under Section 37(1) of the Sarawak Minor Offenses Ordinance 1958.
If convicted, he can face imprisonment for a term of up to three months and a fine of RM500.
He is alleged to have received RM5,000 in stages into his personal account while at a residence in Jalan Batu Kawa on Jan 22.
Based on the case facts, the complainant, a foreign national, had transferred a sum of RM5,000 into Ng’s personal account as payment to obtain a red Malaysian identity card (IC).
It is understood that the complainant, who had engaged communication with Ng on WhatsApp, was promised the red IC and he had to make several payments into various individual accounts to initiate the process.
After receiving a letter claiming that the red IC was ready for collection, the complainant visited the Immigration Department, only to discover that his application did not exist.
Feeling deceived, the complainant lodged a police report for further action and investigation.
As such, investigations found that Ng failed to provide any reasonable explanation for the presence of RM5,000 in his personal account.
Insp Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin prosecuted the case while Ng was unrepresented by counsel.
