Man fined over cable theft equipment

KUCHING: A local man was sentenced by the Magistrate Court here today to a fine of RM300 or five days in jail for failing to provide valid reasons for possessing cables and cable cutting equipment when arrested by the police.

Mohamad Rafie Ahmad, 25, from Kampung Matang, pleaded guilty to one charge under Section 37(1) of the Sarawak Minor Offence Ordinance 1958, which Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan read.

According to the charges, he committed the offence at the Sungai Pedada Bridge at Jalan Sungai Maong, around 8.15 am on November 8.

The facts of the case revealed that the police arrested the accused, including the confiscation of items, after receiving information about the matter.

The confiscated items include a cable weighing 100 kilograms, screwdrivers, hacksaws, spanners, cable pulling adjusters, stainless steel adjusting wires, and several other cable cutting and unloading tools.

The investigation found that the accused possessed cables and cable cutting equipment and failed to provide a valid reason for having these items.

Prosecuting Officer Inspector Merylene Lindan Andrew Mang handled the case’s prosecution, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.