SERIAN: An Indonesian man was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment by the Magistrate’s Court here today for unlawfully possessing two passports belonging to two women of the same nationality in February.
Bendi Progola Majidi, 45, pleaded guilty to the charge framed under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passports Act 1966, punishable under Section 12(2) of the same Act, before Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali.
The offence carries a penalty of a fine of up to RM10,000, or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
According to the charge, the accused was found in possession of the two passports without lawful authority at a plantation junction in Paon Gahat at about 5.15 pm on Feb 15.
Based on the facts of the case, a police officer leading a team during Ops Taring had stopped a Toyota Avanza in suspicious circumstances at the plantation road junction.
An inspection revealed that the accused, who was the driver, was transporting passengers believed to be his fellow countrymen without valid travel documents.
Further checks uncovered a kerambit, two passports belonging to other individuals, cash, and several other items in the accused’s sling bag.
The accused and his companions were subsequently detained for further investigation.
Investigations later revealed that the accused had unlawfully possessed the passports.
It was also reported that the accused had previously been sentenced on March 4 by the Sessions Court in Kuching to five years’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane for possessing a kerambit in a public place under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.
On March 17, he was again fined RM15,000 or in default six months’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court in Semuja for transporting individuals without valid travel documents under Section 55E(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly, while the case was investigated by Inspector Victor Buckand Dusim Oh.
