Man fined RM1,500 for illegally possessing RM50k

KUCHING: A man was fined RM1,500, in default one month in prison, on Monday (Feb 26) after pleading guilty to illegally possessing RM50,000 in his personal account two years ago.
The charge, framed under Section 37(1) of the Sarawak Minor Offenses Ordinance 1958, carries a penalty of up to three months imprisonment and a fine of up to RM500.
Lauren Tako, 37, from Dalat admitted to receiving a staged transaction of RM50,000 into his personal account from a bank while at a house in Taman Haji Baki between 7.14pm and 8.16pm on Oct 18, 2022.
The case emerged when a 44-year-old complainant lodged a police report after being deceived by individuals posing as Telekom Kuala Lumpur and a police officer.
The impostors falsely claimed the complainant had Unifi arrears and was involved in money laundering, instructing him to settle by transferring money into a specified account as police bail.
The complainant, as instructed, made three transactions totalling RM50,000 into an account under Lauren’s name.
Investigations revealed that Lauren had provided his account number and debit card to a friend, who failed to return the card after withdrawing money.
Lauren did not report the incident until his account was misused for fraudulent online impersonation activities.
Inspector Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin prosecuted the case while Lauren was not represented by legal counsel.