JOHOR BARU: A contract worker has been sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court for allowing his bank account to be used as a mule account in room rental scams where victims incurred over RM36,000 in losses.
Mohd Azuan Mustaffa, 39, pleaded guilty to all nine charges read in separate courtrooms on Friday (Aug 14).
He was first charged with four counts of dishonestly leading four different victims into transferring funds amounting to RM11,275 into his bank account, which were read before Sessions Judge Madihah Zainol.
At a separate courtroom before Sessions Judge Ronie Anak Entili, Mohd Azuan was charged with five similar offences, where victims suffered losses of RM25,150 in total.
He was accused of committing the offence at several locations in Bukit Chagar, Danga Bay and Taman Suria here from June 21 to 27.
He was charged under Section 424 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with a jail term of up to five years, a fine or both upon conviction.
According to the statement of facts, the victims fell for the fake room rental offers advertised on a classifieds marketplace platform before transferring the funds into the accused’s bank account.
They only realised they were duped after failing to obtain the keys to the unit and attempts to contact the accused were unsuccessful.
The judges sentenced Mohd Azuan to one month’s imprisonment for each of the nine charges and ordered them to run consecutively.
Earlier, National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer K. Bharathi, who represented the accused, asked the court to hand out jail sentences as he is currently serving a prison sentence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 after his urine tested positive for drugs.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Amirah Tasnim Saleh and R. Nevina prosecuted the cases.
