KUCHING: A 34-year-old unemployed father of three was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment by the Magistrates’ Court here today (No. 11) for retaining a stolen Proton Arena vehicle.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu imposed the sentence on Mohd Fathil Bahtiar after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 411 of the Penal Code.
The section provides for imprisonment of up to five years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The court ordered the sentence to take effect from the date of his arrest on Nov 9.
The offence was committed at about 12.40 am on Nov 9 at Lorong Kenanga, Kampung Pinang Jawa, where the accused was found retaining a Proton Arena belonging to a 37-year-old man.
The facts of the case revealed that the complainant discovered his vehicle missing when he wanted to use it.
Suspecting that it had been stolen, he lodged a police report to enable further action to be taken.
On Nov 9, police arrested the accused after identifying the vehicle as a stolen one.
The complainant subsequently confirmed that the Proton Arena belonged to him.
Investigations revealed that the accused had retained the stolen vehicle, leading to the charge under Section 411 of the Penal Code.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani prosecuted, while the accused was represented by counsel Wong Chung Yin.
