SHAH ALAM: A single mother was sentenced to 11 months' jail by the Sessions Court here for having RM347,800 in her bank accounts that did not belong to her, nine years ago.
Rosnani Shaikh Mahmud, 56, pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of fraudulent possession of property for holding the monies, which belonged to 61-year-old Lim Chwee Hoon, in her two bank accounts without having an explanation as to how she obtained the funds.
The accused admitted to committing the offence at CIMB Bank in PJ State between Oct 24 and 31, 2017.
The alternative charge under Section 29(1) of the Minor Offences Act 1955 carries imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to RM1,000, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Azizah Jaafar pressed for the maximum sentence under the law, saying the money could not be retrieved.
"The money was never returned to the victim, not even a little, not even half.
"The prosecution insistently requests prison time to balance out the amount of losses suffered by the victim.
"If you do the crime, you pay with the time, (if) not the dime," she said.
Rosnani, who was unrepresented, told the court that she was a single mother who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud then sentenced her to 11 months in jail from the date of sentencing.
Lim, the complainant in the case, befriended a "Korean man" by the name of "Kenny Wang" on Facebook and continued their friendship through chats.
Wang told Lim that he had sent a parcel containing US$100,000, an iPad, a handbag and a ring.
Lim then received a phone call from an agent named "Aiman" who said the parcel was detained and payment was needed for the delivery.
Lim transferred RM347,800 into the two bank accounts but never received the parcel. She made a police report after realising she had been cheated.
Investigation showed that the accused received the money in her accounts but failed to give a satisfactory explanation of how it was obtained.
