KUCHING: A 24-year-old man was fined RM6,000 by the Magistrates’ Court here on Tuesday (Sept 1) for disposing of a refrigerator which he had reason to believe was stolen.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu imposed the fine on Voon Kang Jie after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 414 of the Penal Code.
The offence carries a maximum jail term of seven years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The court was told that Voon, who was unrepresented, committed the offence at about 12.19pm on July 29 at a popular second-hand store, near Batu Kawa Road, here.
He was charged with voluntarily assisting in disposing of an Elba refrigerator belonging to a 45-year-old complainant, which he had reason to believe was stolen property.
According to the facts of the case, the complainant discovered on July 30 that several items were missing from his rented house at North Tower, Upper Sanctuary MJC, Batu Kawa.
The missing items included a 55-inch Xiaomi smart television, an Elba refrigerator, a Midea induction cooker, two wooden chairs, three metal-and-wood side tables, a Panasonic hairdryer and a Khind iron.
Two wooden bedroom doors were also found damaged. The total loss was estimated at RM5,000. Police investigations later led to Voon’s on Aug 27.
On Aug 29, police, guided by Voon, seized a grey Elba refrigerator from the popular second-hand store on Batu Kawa Road.
Investigations found that Voon had sold the refrigerator, which belonged to the complainant, to the second-hand goods dealer.
An identification procedure was subsequently conducted, during which the shop manager identified Voon as the person who had sold the refrigerator.
Prosecution officer Inspector Siti Radhiah Abdul Rahman appeared for the prosecution while Voon was unrepresented.
