By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Aug 28: A 34-year-old man from Serian was fined RM500 by the Magistrate’s Court here today after pleading guilty to possessing RM2,000 in fraudulent funds in his bank account.
Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali also ordered the accused, Patrick Emori Robin, to serve 10 days in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
Patrick was charged with committing the offence at a house in Taman Haji Ramli, Lorong Cenderawasih on Aug 16, 2024, at around 12.08pm.
According to the case facts, a 46-year-old man (the complainant) had been browsing Marketplace on Facebook and expressed interest in purchasing a compact car priced at RM5,500.
The complainant subsequently negotiated the purchase with an individual via WhatsApp and Telegram. He was instructed to make a deposit payment of RM2,000 into a bank account under the name of Patrick Emori (the accused).
However, the complainant did not receive the car he had paid for. Suspecting he had been scammed, he lodged a police report, leading to the arrest of the accused on August 27, 2024.
Further investigations revealed that the accused, as the bank account holder, had committed an offence under Section 37(1) of the Sarawak Minor Offences Ordinance 1958 for unlawfully possessing property.
ASP Arman Ibrahim prosecuted the case while the accused was unrepresented by counsel. — DayakDaily
