KOTA TINGGI – A contract supervisor was sentenced to three years’ jail, two strokes of the cane and fined RM16,000 by the magistrates’ court here today for cheating two colleagues to obtain donations amounting to RM8,357 last week.
Magistrate Nurmadiana Mamat meted out the punishment on Mohd Zahazan Zainon, 45, after he pleaded guilty to the two charges.
According to the first charge, Zahazan fraudulently deceived his colleague by giving false information that his family members had died of Covid-19, which prompted the victim to deposit RM7,857 into the accused’s personal bank account as a donation.
For the second charge, the accused was alleged to have committed a similar offence by asking for a donation from another colleague, who gave him RM500.
Both the offences were committed at the Pengerang Integrated Complex Security Division Office between 5.20pm and 9.25pm on last Friday.
The accused was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years, whipping and a fine.
In mitigation, Zahazan, who was represented by lawyer Nurul Hidayah Mohd Asri, pleaded for leniency, citing that he is looking after four children from a previous marriage.
However, deputy public prosecutor Nursyamim Fateha Mohd Amin said the accused should be given a heavy punishment to serve as a lesson as the case is of public interest.
Magistrate Nurmadiana Mamat orders Zahazan to serve a jail term of three years, pay a fine of RM15,000 in default of five months’ jail, and a stroke of the cane for the first offence.
For the second offence, he was sentenced to a year in prison, a fine of RM1,000 in default of one month’s in jail, and a stroke of the cane.
The jail terms run concurrently, starting from the date of arrest on Saturday. – Bernama, September 8, 2021
