A labourer was fined RM4,500 by the Magistrate’s Court here today after pleading guilty to stealing and keeping a pistol and live ammunition belonging to a bodyguard, which he had found after it was left behind in a toilet at a petrol station last Sunday.
Magistrate Arun Noval Dass imposed the sentence on Mohd Hasni Muhamad, 36, after considering his guilty plea, mitigation, and submissions from both the prosecution and defence.
The court also ordered that the accused serve six months in jail if he fails to pay the fine for both charges. He was later sent to Kluang Prison after failing to settle the amount.
For the first charge, the father of three was accused of having in his possession a CZP-07 pistol along with 10 live rounds without a valid licence at a house in Taman Pasifik Selatan at 7.55pm on April 12.
The offence falls under Section 8(a) of the Firearms Act 1960, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
For the second charge, he was accused of dishonestly transferring the weapon belonging to a security company after finding it in a toilet at a petrol station along Jalan Kluang at 4.15pm on the same day. The charge is framed under Section 379 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
Facts of the case stated that the accused had stopped at the petrol station toilet, where he discovered a pistol with 10 live rounds left behind by an unknown individual. He then took the weapon home despite being advised by his wife to return it.
The case came to light after CCTV footage at the premises showed the accused’s movements. Acting on information, police arrested him at a house and later recovered the pistol based on his guidance, which had been kept in a box behind the house.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Firdaus Ruslan, while the accused was represented by lawyer Kamarulariffin Nordin from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK).
