KOTA KINABALU: An 18-year-old college student who became a “money mule” was released on a two-year good behaviour bond by the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court here on Friday (Jan 9).
Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan did not impose any surety bond for the teenager after taking into consideration the young offender’s social report from the Welfare Officer, his appeal for leniency and the prosecution’s arguments.
Amir Shah noted that the incident occurred due to negligence and not because the accused had the intention to be directly involved in criminal activities or the syndicate concerned.
Based on the charge sheet, the teenager was indirectly involved in a transaction involving the deposit of RM15,050 into his bank account on July 8 last year, at an office in Taman Industri Warisan here.
He was charged under Section 424C(1) of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than 10 years, or a fine of not less than RM10,000 and not more than RM150,000, or both, upon conviction.
Based on the facts of the case, the teenager lodged a police report on July 19, 2025, regarding the lending of his ATM card to a man he had known for about a month, identified as “Wan.”
In the report, the accused stated that he had given Wan his ATM card number and PIN on July 10, 2025, and Wan promised to return the card on July 13, 2025.
However, all attempts to contact Wan failed after the accused was blocked by him.
Police investigations revealed that another complainant had transferred RM15,050 as payment for a purchase from an individual named “Farhan” into the accused's bank account.
As a result, the accused bank account was found to have been indirectly involved in the deposit transaction illegally.
Following this discovery, the teenager was detained to assist in investigations.
During his appeal, the teenager pleaded for leniency, explaining that his father was ill and had other siblings. His mother passed away a year ago.
The teenager, who admitted his wrongdoing, told the court that the incident had forced him to discontinue his studies and urged the court to give him a second chance.
He promised not to repeat the same mistake and not repeat it.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Francis had earlier urged the court to impose a commensurate sentence as a deterrent, stressing that the accused had full control over his own bank account.
