BUKIT MERTAJAM – Four friends were fined RM4,000 each by the magistrates’ court here today for allegedly offering non-existent loans to the public.
Magistrate Mohd Harith Mohd Mazlan imposed the sentence on Lee Soon Ching, 21; Liew Hui Juan, 28; Connie Nam, 25; and Ho Wei Lun, 33, after they pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
All the accused were alleged to have offered the non-existent loans at a house at B-11-03, Goodfield Resident, Jalan Bukit Minyak Permai 2, here at 4.05pm, on October 7.
They were charged under Section 120B (2) of the Penal Code and can be read under Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of six months or a fine, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Nadia Jamal asked the court to impose an appropriate sentence because the offense involved the public.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer Ima Syakira from the National Legal Aid Foundation, who represented the suspects, told the court that Liew is a single mother of two and all of them have no permanent jobs.
Ima applied for the minimum fine after all the accused pleaded guilty to save court time and costs.
“All the accused were fined RM4,000 each and if they fail to pay the fine, they will be jailed for six months,” said Mohd Harith.
It is understood that a total of 44 police reports were lodged throughout Malaysia against the four accused since January, with an estimated total loss of RM400,000. – The Vibes, October 14, 2021
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