KUCHING: A police constable has been sentenced to five years and two weeks in jail and one stroke of the cane by two separate courts here today for being absent from duty for five months and possessing a machete without reasonable excuse.
The accused, Mohd Hastree, 36, from Kampung Demak Baru, pleaded guilty to two separate charges read before Sessions Court Judge Iris Awen Jon and Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan.
In the Sessions Court, Hastree was charged under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 for possessing a machete without reasonable excuse.
Judge Iris sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane.
Meanwhile, in the Magistrate’s Court, he was charged under Section 86(1) of the Police Act 1967 and punishable under the same section for being absent from duty as a police officer for five months from May 14 to Sept 29 this year without reasonable excuse.
He committed the offence at the Commandant’s Office, Sarawak Police Headquarters (IPK), at 9.30 am on June 9.
Magistrate Ling sentenced him to two weeks’ imprisonment, to run from today.
Based on the facts of the case, police officers discovered that the accused had been absent from his post guarding a meeting room for 15 consecutive days.
On Sept 29, at 1.30 pm, a police team arrested Hastree inside a car parked near the Kuching District Police Headquarters.
Upon inspection, officers found a machete on the rear passenger seat, and the accused failed to provide a reasonable explanation for its possession.
Police also seized several items belonging to the accused, including a Proton Gen 2 car, a set of car keys, a machete, a police authority card, and a security pass.
Investigations further revealed that Hastree had been absent from duty for five months and had displayed a lack of interest and poor attitude towards his police career.
The case was handled by deputy public prosecutors Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff and Chuah Kai Sheng.
