KUANTAN: Fourteen individuals, including 11 China nationals, were each fined RM4,500 by a Magistrate's Court here Thursday (Oct 22) after pleading guilty to charges of criminal conspiracy related to online scams on Oct 7 and 12.
All the accused were handed the sentence after the charges were read out by the court interpreter before Magistrate Tuan Ruzaini Tuan Lah, and they face six months in prison if they fail to pay the fine.
In the first proceeding, seven male Chinese nationals - Li Jiaxiang, 37; Wang Zhidong, 32; Tai Yunxin, 35; Pang Youguang, 46; Sun Fanglei, 32; Hu Yu, 34; and Huang Chao, 28 - were charged with committing a criminal conspiracy to cheat through a non-existent investment offer at Lorong Galing 54, Off Jalan Haji Ahmad, at about 12:30am on Oct 7.
They were charged under Section 120B(2) of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of six months, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Lawyer Muhamad Saifuldin Ab Rahman, representing some of the accused, asked the court to impose a minimum fine on the grounds that his clients were not the masterminds, but rather victims of circumstance.
He said the accused committed the act to support their respective families, coupled with a misunderstanding and a lack of full awareness of the enforced laws.
In a separate proceeding, seven individuals - Tong Chia Cheun, 31; Ong Kian Hee, 34; Na Jianguo, 33; Ni Peng, 29; Liu Achen, 29; Rolence Loo Chin Shang, 32; and Liu Jiayin, 19 - were charged with committing a criminal conspiracy related to online fraud through love scam activities at Jalan Kubang Buaya, at about 9pm on Oct 12.
According to the charge, they were accused of agreeing to commit fraud by editing obscene photos before tricking victims into making monetary payments. The offence is charged under the same section.
Lawyer Ahmad Syamsul Akmar Yusof, representing the accused, said his clients had no prior records and that their guilty plea had saved the court's time.
He said that two of the local accused, Tong and Rolence, were believed to have been hired to prepare and deliver food to the premises, while Ong, also a local, was the owner of the premises.
"The other four Chinese nationals were looking for jobs to support their families back home before they were allegedly deceived by agents and forced to commit the crime," he said.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Najmi Zaki Amer Suhaimi urged the court to impose a proportionate sentence, taking into account the element of conspiracy in both cases as a deterrent and in the public interest. - Bernama
