Kota Kinabalu: A 56-year-old woman was fined a total of RM200 by the Magistrate’s Court here on two counts of failing to explain cash deposits into her bank account.
Azawati Mohd Salleh pleaded guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus to both charges under Section 22A(1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance (Sabah).
She was fined RM100 or three days’ jail on each charge.
On the first count, Azawati was found to have had RM1,500 belonging to one Adnan Amirul credited into her bank account on March 20, 2023, at a bank in Jalan Gaya, and failed to give a satisfactory explanation as to how the money was obtained.
On the second count, she similarly failed to account for RM6,800 belonging to the same complainant, credited into the same account on March 31, 2023.
Each charge carries a fine of up to RM100 or jail of up to three months, or both, on conviction.
The court heard from the prosecution that the money belonged to the complainant, who had been cheated in an online scam.
The victim had met a foreign woman on Facebook who promised to send a parcel but later asked for payment for delivery.
Believing the claim, the victim made several transfers into the account.
However, no parcel was ever received and further payments were requested, prompting a police report.
Investigations showed that Azawati’s bank account received the RM1,500 and RM6,800, matching part of the victim’s payments.
Azawati told investigators that she had earlier handed over her ATM card and PIN to a man known as “Ryan”, whom she met online, after being promised a reward.
She claimed the man later became uncontactable and no payment was received.
She admitted to allowing her bank account to be used by a third party but was unable to explain the source of the funds.
Unrepresented, Azawati requested a lenient fine saying she had terminated the account.
Magistrate Dzul advised her to safeguard her bank account details and not to hand them over to others to avoid such incidents in future.
In another case, a 28-year-old woman was fined RM1,400 or jailed one month for engaging in online gambling in a public place.
Dellyiana Gosopok pleaded guilty before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to committing the offence at 11.30am on April 10, this year, at a five-foot way of a restaurant in Likas.
The charge under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 carries a fine of up to RM5,000 or jail of up to six months, or both, on conviction.
The court heard that a police team conducted surveillance at the location and observed Dellyiana engaging in gambling activities using a mobile phone.
She was then detained and a mobile phone, along with cash amounting to RM55, was seized.
Checks on the device revealed the presence of an online gambling application with a credit balance of RM1,788.
Investigations confirmed that Dellyiana had been involved in online gambling activities at the public place.
Inspectors Yusdi Basri and Alia Nuurlysa Adnan prosecuted.
