KUCHING: A 30 year old man was fined RM2,000 by the Magistrates’ Court here after he pleaded guilty to gambling in a public place using a smartphone.
Mohd Afiq Shefei Rosman was ordered to serve two months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan meted out the sentence after the charge under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming House Act 1953 was read to the accused.
According to the charge, he was found gambling in a public place using a Redmi smartphone at a mini mart near Jalan Bako here at about 3.20 pm on Mar 4.
The offence carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding RM5,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, upon conviction.
Based on the facts of the case, a police team conducted about 15 minutes of surveillance at the premises before moving in to arrest the accused.
The team observed the accused sitting at the five-foot way of the shop while playing online gambling through the Mega888 application on his mobile phone.
Police then arrested him and seized items believed to have been used in the gambling activity.
Among the items confiscated were a Redmi mobile phone with IMEI numbers 869696086968901 and 869696086968919, as well as RM10 in cash.
Investigations later confirmed that the mobile phone contained elements of online gambling activity.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulufti Suriani. Mohd Afiq was unrepresented.
