A 22-year-old law student was fined RM500 by the Sessions Court here on Friday after pleading guilty to allowing her bank account to be used for an illegal transaction.
Nicole Soo Lik Yee entered the guilty plea after the charge was read before Sessions Court Judge Madihah Zainol.
The court also ordered Soo to serve one month in prison if she fails to settle the fine.
Based on the charge, the accused was alleged to have dishonestly transferred RM525 belonging to a 32-year-old man into her personal bank account.
The offence was allegedly committed at Jalan Idaman 8/10, Taman Nusa Idaman, Iskandar Puteri, at about 4.31pm on June 13.
Soo was charged under Section 424 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, a fine, or both upon conviction.
During mitigation, National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer K. Bharathi, representing Soo, urged the court to impose a lenient sentence, highlighting that the accused was currently pursuing a law course at a private college in Petaling Jaya.
The lawyer also told the court that Soo was financially supported by her grandfather following the separation of her parents.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Shamira Mohd Luthfi Ismail appeared for the prosecution.
The case serves as another reminder of the risks of allowing personal bank accounts to be used by others, particularly when the account holder may not be aware of the wider transactions linked to the funds.
