KUCHING: A businessman was fined RM35,000 and sentenced to one day’s imprisonment by the Sessions Court here on Tuesday (May 19) after pleading guilty to stealing electricity at a commercial premises in Jalan Gold Jade.
Failure to pay the fine will result in six months’ imprisonment.
Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar meted out the sentence on Alvin Chin Ngian Yik, 29, after he changed his plea to guilty during case management proceedings.
The accused, represented by counsels Clement Wong and Christopher Chin, admitted to dishonestly abstracting electricity through the installation of foreign cables that bypassed a disconnected electricity meter at the ground floor of a cafe in Jalan Gold Jade.
The offence was framed under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance (Chapter 50).
Deputy public prosecutor Ronald Felix Hardin, appearing for the prosecution, informed the court that a team from SESCO’s Revenue Management Division carried out a routine inspection at the Jalan Gold Jade commercial centre on June 19, 2024, at around 11am.
During the inspection, officers discovered foreign cables connected directly to the main wiring system of the premises, bypassing the electricity meter which had earlier been disconnected due to unpaid arrears.
Investigations revealed that Alvin, who was the registered customer of the licensee as well as the tenant and operator of the shoplot, had dishonestly tapped electricity supply into the premises.
In passing sentence, Judge Noorhisham took into account several factors, including the accused’s previous conviction recorded on May 13 this year.
Several enforcement officers from the Ministry of Utilities and Telecommunication Sarawak as well as Syarikat SESCO Berhad’s Investigation Unit were present during the proceedings.
