Forty-nine individuals, including eight local men, were charged at the Kulim Magistrate’s Court for carrying out online scam activities in Bandar Putra.
KULIM: Forty-nine (49) individuals, including eight local men, were brought before the Magistrate’s Court here today on charges of carrying out online scam activities recently.
The eight local men pleaded guilty, while the rest – who are Indian and Pakistani nationals, including seven women – pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before Magistrate Nur Hamizah Mat Shah.
According to the charge, all of them were jointly charged with carrying out online scam activities at five premises on Jalan Lebuh Bandar, Bandar Putra here at 8:00 pm on October 9.
They were charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 120B(1) of the same code, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
The eight accused who pleaded guilty – Lee Jian, 29; Franky Ooi Zhen Yang, 26; Tan Ka Kien, 35; Lee Wai Yean, 30; Loh Seng Huang, 26; Lee Yi Chyn, 37; Low Kuan How, 41; and Chew Joo Hock, 51 – were each sentenced to a fine of RM5,000.
The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Ain Fadilla Muhammad Fauzi, while all the accused were represented by lawyer Kenny Tan Cheng Yee.
The Magistrate then set November 24 as the next mention date for all the foreign nationals who pleaded not guilty, and no bail was offered.
Meanwhile, in the same court, Lee Jian, Loh, and Chew were also charged with permitting 17 undocumented immigrants to stay at the same premises, on the same date and at the same time.
However, all three accused pleaded not guilty to the offence charged under Section 55E(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, punishable under Section 55E(2) of the same Act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, the accused can be fined not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM30,000, or imprisoned for not more than 12 months, or both, for each undocumented immigrant found on the premises.
The court allowed bail of RM8,000 for each accused and set January 18 next year for case mention.