KOTA KINABALU: A jobless man was sentenced to 12 years in jail and also ordered to be given 11 strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court for robbing an elderly person in Sabah’s east coast Tawau district.
Arip Tarip, 31, an Indonesian, pleaded guilty to the crime, which took place last September, when the charge was read to him in front of Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud on Wednesday (Nov 9).
The charge was framed under Section 392/97 of the Penal Code for armed robbery.
Awang Kerisnada also sentenced the accused to 12 months in jail and five strokes of the cane for entering and staying in the country without proper travel papers under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Amendment 2002).
According to the charge sheet, Arip was accused of robbing Jong Fook Onn in front of a coffeeshop at Taman Hill Top at 5.24am last Sept 2.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Syahnidzam Ahmad appeared for the prosecution while the accused was not represented.
Mohd Syahnidzam had earlier urged the court to deliver a heavy sentence to the accused as it was public interest besides the crime being committed with a dangerous weapon.
The court then ruled for Arip’s sentences to run separately besides for the accused to be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation to his country of origin as soon as his sentences were completed.
