Man in Kuching pleads guilty to having RM1,000 linked to scam, fined RM500

KUCHING (Sept 11): A man was fined RM500 in default two weeks in jail for unlawfully possessing money linked to a scam in his bank account.

Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali imposed the fine on Muhammad Nazri Aziz, 21, who pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 37(1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance Sarawak 1958.

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

The accused committed the offence at a premises in Jalan Matang here at around 11.40pm on April 23, 2024.

Based on the facts of the case, the complainant in the case, a 38-year-old man, received a WhatsApp message from a friend requesting to borrow RM1,000.

He transferred the money into a bank account under the accused’s name.

Later, the complainant realised he had been scammed when his friend posted on Facebook that he had lodged a police report regarding fraudulent money requests on WhatsApp.

He then contacted his friend, who informed that his WhatsApp account had been hacked and that he had never asked to borrow money from anyone.

The complainant then filed his own police report which led to Muhammad Nazri’s arrest.

The case was prosecuted by ASP Arman Ibrahim, while the accused was unrepresented by counsel.