KUCHING: A former police officer was sentenced to one month in prison and fined RM3,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here today after being found guilty of trespassing into the Sarawak State Palace (Astana) without proper permission two years ago.
Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali imposed the sentence on Aszaha Abdul Hamid, 46, of Kampung Malaysia Jaya, at the end of the trial today.
In handing down the sentence, Syarifah said Aszaha chose to remain silent during the trial on a charge under Section 447 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, the offender is liable to be sentenced to up to six months in prison, a fine of up to RM3,000, or both.
In the ruling, Syarifah found that the prosecution had proven the charge against Aszaha beyond a reasonable doubt.
Therefore, he was found guilty of the charge against him.
According to the charge, he was accused of trespassing into the Sarawak State Palace without proper permission at around 6.50 am on August 25, 2021.
Syarifah imposed a four-month prison sentence if the fine was not paid.
According to the facts of the case, during the incident, a van carrying the General Operations Force (PGA) entered the Sarawak State Palace, and a black Myvi car driven by the accused followed the vehicle into the area.
Subsequently, two police officers arrested the accused, along with the vehicle used.
An investigation found that he had trespassed into the palace area without permission.
It is understood that he entered the area to meet a woman named Tengku.
The prosecution was conducted by Inspector Mohd Adzmei Ahmad, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.
