By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Aug 28: A 30-year-old man who duped a victim into believing he could arrange the adoption of a child was sentenced to 24 months in jail and one stroke of the cane by the Magistrate’s Court here today.
Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali handed down the sentence to the accused after he pleaded guilty to cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, whipping, and a fine.
According to the charge, he deceived a 46-year-old man into transferring RM400 into his bank account under the pretense of handling adoption procedures.
Investigations revealed that the victim made the payment on Aug 28, 2024, at Wassion Avenue, Kuching Outer Ring, believing the accused could manage the required documentation. In reality, the purported adoption and the child involved never existed.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng urged the court to impose a strict sentence, noting that such scams were increasingly common and often meticulously planned.
He said the punishment should act both as a deterrent to the accused and as a warning to the public.
The accused was unrepresented in court during the proceedings. — DayakDaily
