Filipino jailed nine years for gang robbery

KOTA KINABALU: A Filipino was sentenced to nine years' jail for committing gang robbery on another man at a car park at a shopping mall here, last year.

Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz passed the sentence on Abdul Kalam Abdul Wahid, 21, after he pleaded guilty to the offence when his case came up for trial, yesterday.

His co-accused, Faizal Nasri, 25, however, maintained his plea of not guilty to the charge and the court fixed April 27 for mention, at the request of the prosecution.

For Abdul Kalam, the judge also ordered him to undergo the jail sentence starting from yesterday.

Abdul Kalam had committed the gang robbery on one Jailani Nurkis, 18, of his smartphone at the third floor car park, Centre Point here at 6.15pm on September 18, 2017.

The offence was framed under Section 395 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and also liable to whipping, upon conviction.

Based on the facts of the case, on the incident day, the complainant later known as Jailani, was smoking at the third floor of the car park area of the shopping mall when Abdul Kalam approached him to borrow his smartphone.

Jailani lent his smartphone to Abdul Kalam and Jailani wanted to go to the toilet when Abdul Kalam took the opportunity to flee with the smartphone in his hand.

Jailani then lodged a police report on the same day at about 7.53pm.

Meanwhile, Abdul Kalam met Faizal and asked Faizal to help him sell the smartphone at RM150 to another man who worked as a receptionist at a hotel at Kampung Air here.

After selling the smartphone to the receptionist, Abdul Kalam walked out of the hotel at 11.30pm and was arrested by the police together with Faizal while the sold smartphone was also seized from the receptionist.

On September 25, 2017, an identification parade was made and Jailani identified Abdul Kalam as well as his smartphone.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Husna Abdul Halim prosecuted while Abdul Kalam and Faizal were not represented.

In a separate case, the same court ordered Arnajir Lajaraib, 22, and Julasri Mohd Zaki, 29, to enter their defence on April 30 to a joint charge of robbing a woman.

Azreena made the order after she ruled yesterday that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against both accused.

Arnajir and Julasri, who were not represented, were alleged to have robbed the woman of her cash of over RM6,500, jewellery and a cellphone.

They also had allegedly caused hurt to the woman who was inside her car at a car park along Jalan Gaya at 10pm on March 18, 2017.

Arnajir and Julasri chose to give sworn statements from the witness dock in the next hearing and were expected to call four witnesses at the defence stage.

Previously, the prosecution had called six witnesses during the trial at the prosecution stage.