By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Feb 6: A 44-year-old public servant was fined RM20,120, or sentenced to six months in prison, by the Sessions Court for illegally possessing 503 turtle eggs four years ago.
Sunaty Karim, from Lundu, pleaded guilty to the charge read before Judge Iris Awen Jon.
The offense occurred at a supermarket parking lot in Matang around 12.30pm on June 20, 2020.
The case was prosecuted under Section 37(1) of the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998, punishable under Section 37(2)(a) and read together with Section 29(1)(c) of the same ordinance. Judge Iris imposed a fine of RM40 for each turtle egg in her possession.
According to the case facts, a team from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) conducted an inspection at the supermarket parking lot on the day of the incident.
During the operation, officers observed a suspicious woman inside a sedan. Upon inspection of an orange storage box, they found 503 turtle eggs wrapped in black plastic bags. Sunaty was unable to provide a valid reason or written permit for possessing the eggs.
Sunaty, who had served in the public sector for 35 years as a police corporal, was found to be in possession of eggs from the Chelonidae species, a protected marine life under Part 1 of the First Schedule of the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998.
The case was prosecuted by SFC Deputy Public Prosecutor Roland Felix Hardin and Prosecuting Officer Leonard Baring, with the accused represented by lawyers Tiong Ing Neng and Patrick Voon. — DayakDaily
