KUCHING: A man was fined RM1,600, in default six months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today (May 12) for illegal public gambling.
Senior Assistant Registrar Nuraini Ahmad meted out the sentence on Jamali Daud,36, after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The offence carries a penalty of a fine of up to RM5,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both, upon conviction.
Jamali committed the offence on Mar 6 at a café near Jalan Tondong, Batu Kawa, where he was found gambling using a mobile phone.
Facts of the case revealed that a police team from the Padawan district police headquarters (IPD) conducted a raid at the premises and arrested the accused on suspicion of engaging in public gambling.
Police also seized several items, namely a Sony Xperia mobile phone, a piece of paper containing a written ID and password, and RM20 in cash.
Investigations by a gambling expert confirmed that the mobile phone contained a gambling application known as “Mega 888”, and that the accused had been using it to gamble at the time of his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Azhari Yusof, while Jamali was unrepresented.
