MELAKA: A 33-year-old man who demanded a cash reward after returning a woman’s stolen mobile phone was sentenced to four months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court in Ayer Keroh here.
Magistrate Uthman Abd Ghani handed down the sentence on Muhammad Nazirul Jasmi after he pleaded guilty to extortion on Monday (Sept 7).
Muhammad Nazirul was charged with putting the 36-year-old woman in fear while demanding RM200 for the return of her mobile phone after pretending to have retrieved it for her.
He committed the offence along the Sungai Melaka riverbank in Kampung Morten at about 7.15pm on Sept 1.
According to the facts of the case, the victim was with her younger sister when she realised that her iPhone 17 Pro Max was missing.
Muhammad Nazirul then approached her and claimed that his friend was chasing the person who had taken the phone.
He later returned the device and demanded RM200 as a reward, before reducing the amount to RM50.
The frightened victim refused to pay and told him that she wanted to lodge a police report.
Muhammad Nazirul refused to provide his telephone number and continued pressing her for payment.
The charge was framed under Section 385 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, whipping, or any two of the punishments upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Syauqi Mardia Baharudin urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, saying the accused's actions had frightened the victim at a popular tourist spot.
Muhammad Nazirul, who was unrepresented, appealed for leniency, saying he had to support his mother.
The media reported on Sept 3 that police had arrested a man in connection with the incident after a video circulated on social media.
Melaka Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Halim Abas had said a man was believed to have taken the woman’s mobile phone before pretending to help recover it and demanding a cash reward for its return.
Police checks also found that the suspect had previously been arrested several times for drug-related offences and had tested positive for drugs.
