SEREMBAN: Eleven individuals were fined RM3,000 each in default six months’ jail by a Magistrate’s court here after they pleaded guilty to committing criminal conspiracy by inducing others to apply for nonexistent loans.
They did not contest the charge after it was read to them separately before Magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli on Monday (Sept 8).
Willie Ngam Tee Heng, 41, Lai Wen Bin, 21, Chee Juen Hoe, 36, Vincent Lim Liang Yik, 22, Jerry Teo Chee Ming, 22, Sim Wee Yung, 27, and Chin Chye Fui, 34, were first charged with committing the offence at around 2.30pm on Aug 26 at a premises near here.
Tan Wen Wah, 26, Yong Wai Chuan, 20, Chan Zi Cheng, 19, and Jaydi Requiron Teh, 25, were then charged with committing a similar offence on the same day at another premises, also in the city.
They were charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, read together with Section 120B(2).
Offenders can be jailed for up to six months, or fined, or both, upon conviction.
Their lawyer Erickka Farrise pleaded for a minimum fine as all the accused had saved the court’s time by pleading guilty.
He said they were also first-time offenders and were remorseful for their actions.
Erickka said the accused had also spent 12 days in remand since their arrest and had cooperated fully with the police.
Deputy public prosecutor P. Rubini said that although the accused had pleaded guilty, the court had the discretion to impose a deterrent sentence.
It was reported earlier that Negri Sembilan police detained 11 suspects in a raid on two online scam centres.
State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Alzafny Ahmad said preliminary investigations found that the centres, which offered nonexistent loans to their targets, had scammed Malaysians of some RM315,000 so far.
The syndicate operated via Facebook and mobile applications, he added.
