By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, July 21: Three Indonesians were sentenced to three-months in jail by the Magistrate’s Court here today for using forged travel permits during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
Anwar Durani, 45, Wardi Samoin, 40 and Tahmid, 38, pleaded guilty to the charge before Magistrate Zaiton Anuar.
Zaiton sentenced each of them to three-months in jail, with effect from the date of their arrest, July 7.
They were found to have intentionally given false information upon being required to furnish any information under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 when the car they were travelling in were stopped by the police at a roadblock in Jalan Batu Kitang/Bau, at about 10.35am, on July 7.
Upon inspection, all three accused had said that they obtained travel permits issued by the Tanjung Kidurong police station to move around during the implementation of MCO. However, the police officer in charge was suspicious of the signature on their permits.
After checking with Tanjung Kidurong police station district police chief, it was confirmed that the said police station did not issue such permits to the accused.
They were then charged under Section 22(d) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and made punishable under Section 24 of the same Act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile in another Magistrate’s Court, the other four who were also found in the same car as the three accused above were found to be conducting inter-district travel without the necessary permits during the MCO.
Kuching Lower Court assistant registrar Aida Montong, who presided over the case on behalf of Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali fixed July 27 for further mention of the case.
At the same time, all seven accused were also charged under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for staying in Sarawak after the expiry of their social visit permit in the Sessions Court.
Sessions Court Judge Afidah Abdul Rahman sentenced each of the accused to an imprisonment of four months.
According to the brief facts of the case, all seven accused used social visit passes to enter Sarawak via Tebedu/Biawak Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex. — DayakDaily
