The Magistrate’s Court has fined 11 men RM3,000 each after they pleaded guilty to offering non-existent loan services on August 26.
The accused, aged between 19 and 41, entered their guilty pleas when the charges were read separately before Magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli.
Nurul Saqinah also ordered that the men face six months’ imprisonment if they fail to pay the fines and directed that all exhibits be handed over to the prosecution.
Willie Ngam Tee, Lai Wen Bin, Chee Juen Hoe, Vincent Lim Liang Yik, Jerry Teo Chee, Sim Wee Yung, and Chin Chye Fui were found to have conspired to offer fake loan services, inducing victims to hand over money to any individual, contrary to Section 420 of the Penal Code. The offense took place at 2:30 p.m. on August 26 at a café here.
Tan Wen Wah, Yong Wai Chua, Chan Zi Cheng, and Jaydi Requiron Teh committed similar offenses at a different premises at 2:24 p.m. on the same day.
The charges were framed under Section 120B(2) read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor P. Rubini requested the court to impose the maximum fines as a warning to the public. Defense lawyer Erickka Farrise, however, requested that minimum fines be imposed, noting that this was the first offense for all her clients and that the 12-day remand period had already served as a corrective lesson.
