KUCHING: Two money lenders were sentenced to 17 months in jail each by the Magistrates’ Court here today for throwing paint at a house in Taman Seng Goon Garden last week.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu handed down the sentence against Samson Ng Jiann Haur, 36, and Marco Tiong King Ling, 32, after both pleaded guilty to committing mischief with common intention under Section 427 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code.
The court heard that the duo had, at about 10:15 pm on August 29, thrown pink paint at a house near Taman Seng Goon Garden, causing damage estimated at about RM200.
The paint also hit two vehicles, namely a Perodua Myvi and a Perodua Axia, parked in front of the house.
According to the facts of the case, the complainant heard a noise outside his house before checking his closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, which showed four men arriving in a Perodua Myvi before throwing paint at the house.
Police subsequently arrested Ng at a residence in Batu Kawa on August 31, while Tiong was arrested at a rented house in Taman Stampin on September 1.
Among the items seized during the arrests were clothing, mobile phones, a car key and the Perodua Myvi believed to have been used in the incident.
Investigations found that Ng and Tiong worked as debt collectors and had acted aggressively against borrowers.
The court heard that Ng was paid RM500 for each house targeted, while Tiong was employed as a debt collector earning RM2,200 or more a month, including commissions from payments made by borrowers.
Tiong also admitted to bringing five small packets of paint from his house and throwing them at the complainant’s residence.
In a separate case, the same two men was sentence to 18 months imprisonment after pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 29B(1) of the Moneylenders Act 1951 for allegedly intimidating and harassing a borrower.
The offence under Section 29B(1) of the Moneylenders Act 1951 carries a fine of between RM50,000 and RM250,000, or imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
The charge alleged that they had, at about 12:20 am on August 29, entered the compound of a house at Taman Hui Sing and damaged its windows while demanding repayment of a money loan.
The case facts stated that the complainant had borrowed RM2,000 on July 8 but received only RM1,200.
He had subsequently made payments totalling RM4,800, yet was allegedly demanded to pay another RM6,800.
The complainant told police that a group of men had kicked open his gate before entering the compound and smashing all the windows of his house with a baseball bat. They then left in two vehicles.
Investigations found that Ng and Tiong had allegedly acted on the instructions of a moneylender to intimidate the borrower and cause damage to his home.
Meanwhile, Ng also faced several separate drug self-administration cases over the years.
In one case, he was tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine at the Narcotics Crime Investigation Division office at Kota Samarahan District Police Headquarters on August 7, 2012.
He pleaded guilty and the court sentenced him to 10 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to undergo police supervision for two years after serving his sentence.
In another case, Ng pleaded guilty to a similar offence committed at the Padawan District Police Narcotics Crime Investigation Office on March 29, 2023.
A urine analysis subsequently confirmed the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine.
For that offence, he was sentenced to a RM2,800 fine, in default eight months’ imprisonment, and two years’ supervision.
Ng also faced another charge where he tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine at the Padawan Narcotic Crime Investigation Department office on May 9 this year.
The court documents stated that a urine sample taken after his arrest tested positive for both substances, with subsequent laboratory analysis confirming the findings.
The offence was again under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a fine of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, together with a supervision order of between two and three years.
He was fined RM3,800, in default 11 months imprisonment
The prosecution in the various proceedings was represented by Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani, Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly and Siti Radhiah Abdul Rahman, whereas both the accused were unrepresented.
