Johor man fined total RM3,000 for retaining stolen money in Kuching

KUCHING (March 25): The Magistrates’ Court here has fined a 27-year-old man a total of RM3,000 in default three months in jail for three counts of dishonestly retaining stolen money amounting to RM2,560 last year.

Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan convicted Sufi Dzikri Sarol on his own guilty plea to all three charges framed under Section 411 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to five years in prison, a fine, or both upon conviction.

For each charge, he was fined RM1,000 in default one month in prison.

Sufi, who is from Johor, committed the offence at a house in Jalan Bukit Bayor on Feb 2, 2025 at 10.56am, 1.12pm, and 1.29pm.

Based on the facts of the case, a 29-year-old woman came across a loan offer online and subsequently dealt with an individual, who introduced himself as ‘Mr Tan’.

‘Mr Tan’ claimed to represent a money lending company known as EML Resources based in Ipoh, Perak.

Interested in securing an RM65,000 loan, the woman was instructed to make several payments purportedly for processing fees.

Believing the offer to be legitimate, the complainant made three transactions totalling RM2,560 into a bank account registered under Sufi’s name.

However, as the promised loan was never disbursed, the complainant lodged a police report.

Sufi was finally arrested on March 2, 2026.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani appeared for the prosecution while Sufi was unrepresented by legal counsel.