KUCHING: The Magistrates’ Court in Kuching fined two Indonesians RM1,000 each or sentenced them to two weeks in prison for purchasing public lottery tickets without a licence in a hut located in Petra Jaya.
Detta Pasetta, 18, and Yanto, 32, pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 9(1) of the Open Gambling House Act 1953 before Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali on today (June 21).
The charge stated that on June 13, at around 3pm, they jointly purchased public lottery tickets without a licence in a yellow hut on Lorong Astana, Petra Jaya.
The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
The arrest was made by a team of police officers from the Criminal Investigation Department of Kuching District Police Headquarters, following a raid on the suspected hut involved in illegal public gambling activities.
During the raid, the two Indonesian men were apprehended, and equipment believed to be used for purchasing public lottery tickets without a licence was seized. Additionally, their belongings, including a mobile phone and RM42 in cash, were confiscated.
Further investigation and analysis conducted by gambling experts confirmed the presence of illegal public lottery numbers on the accused’s mobile phone.
The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Adzmei Ahmad while the accused did not have legal representation in court.
