Painful lesson: Azmi walking out of the courtroom after the Magistrate’s Court fined him RM6,000, in default five months in jail, in Petaling Jaya. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: A former senior military officer was fined RM6,000, in default five months in jail, by the Magistrate’s Court here for seducing a married woman seven years ago.
Magistrate Zhafran Rahim Hamzah handed down the sentence to Azmi Ali, 48, after he pleaded guilty to the charge, Bernama reported.
Azmi pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of criminal intent in seducing a 44-year-old woman into having intercourse at a house in Bandar Putra Permai, Seri Kembangan here in early 2016.
The offence was framed under Section 498 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail sentence of two years, or a fine, or both.
During mitigation, lawyer Azman Zakaria, representing the accused, appealed to the court to order a good behaviour bond under Section 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code on the grounds his client had repented.
“If Section 294 is not applied, I request a fine as this is my client’s first offence and he has no previous convictions.
“Since this case, he was advised to be discharged from the Malaysian Armed Forces after serving for 28 years. My client is married and works as a security guard with an income of RM4,500, and takes care of his parents,” he said.
However, deputy public prosecutor Siti Maryam Jamilah Md Kamal objected to the application and requested that the court mete out a deterrent sentence that would serve as a lesson to the accused and the public.
“The woman’s now ex-husband suffered depression following the discovery of the relationship, and he is still undergoing treatment.
“His business went bankrupt due to his inability to stay focused,” she said.
