Man in Kuching fined for unlawful possession of money linked to fraudulent sale of car

KUCHING (Aug 28): The Magistrates’ Court here today fined a man RM500 in default 10 days in jail for unlawfully possessing RM2,000 in his bank account, linked to the fraudulent sale of a car.

Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali imposed the fine on Patrick Emori Robin, 34, after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 37(1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance Sarawak 1958.

The Section provides a jail term of up to three months and a fine of up to RM500, upon conviction.

Patrick committed the offence at a house in Taman Haji Ramli, Lorong Cenderawasih here at 12.08pm on Aug 16, 2024.

Based on the facts of the case, the complainant, 46, was browsing Facebook Marketplace when he saw a compact car offered for sale for RM5,500.

He conducted the purchase transaction with a man via WhatsApp and Telegram, and was instructed to make a deposit payment of RM2,000 into a bank account under the name of the accused.

However, the car was never delivered to the complainant, who then filed a police report that led to Patrick’s arrest on Tuesday.

ASP Arman Ibrahim prosecuted the case, while Patrick was unrepresented by legal counsel.