A former commando was sentenced to four months in prison by the Ayer Keroh Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to trespassing into a mosque’s bilal room last month.
Mohd Zaidi Mohtar, 44, entered his guilty plea after the charge was read before Magistrate Nur Afiqah Radhiah Zainurin.
According to the charge, Zaidi trespassed by entering the bilal’s room at Masjid Al Wathoni in Bukit Pegoh, Bukit Larang, Telok Mas, at around 2am on Aug 11.
He was charged under Section 448 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of three years, a fine of up to RM5,000, or both upon conviction.
The court heard that on Aug 13, at around 6.40am, the complainant was informed by the mosque’s bilal that a bundle of money from the mosque’s collection box, estimated at RM70, was missing from the room. The money had been kept in an unlocked cash box.
The complainant subsequently reviewed CCTV footage and saw an unidentified man entering the mosque through the women’s section before making his way into the main area at around 2am on Aug 11.
A police report was then lodged, leading to further investigation.
On Sept 2, at around 12.15pm, police from the Kandang Police Station arrested Zaidi, with investigations subsequently identifying him as being involved in the case.
His YBGK lawyer appealed for the minimum sentence, arguing that Zaidi’s guilty plea had saved the prosecution time and costs. The court was also told that Zaidi was unemployed, a widower who was still seeking work, and had no previous criminal record.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Nur Alia Safri urged the court to impose a heavier sentence.
The court subsequently sentenced Zaidi to four months in prison, backdated to the date of his arrest.
