Two pawnshops fined for advertisement, licence offences

KOTA KINABALU: A pawnshop was fined a total of RM7,500, in default, six months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Courts here yesterday for two charges of not providing auctions record book and displaying an advertisement board without its licence and company’s details.

On the first count, the premises was fined RM5,000, in default, three months’ imprisonment after its representative cum director admitted before magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus to a charge under Regulation 13 of the Pawnbrokers Regulation (Control and Licensing) 2004.

The indictment carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term of up to six months or both, upon conviction.

The charge stated that the company had failed to prepare its record book for auction transactions.

The same company further received another RM2,500 fine, in default, three months’ jail by another court for its second count of exhibiting incomplete board which did not contain the company’s number, address, the expiry date of its licence and advertisement permit.

It pleaded guilty before magistrate Afiq Agoes to an offence under Regulation 8 of the same Regulation which also provides the same punishment, upon conviction.

Prosecuting officers Inspector Albert Basiri and Inspector James Paran, who prosecuted each case told the courts that the company was found to have committed the offences after the police officers made inspections on the said premises.

Meanwhile, another pawn shop was fined a total of RM4,500, in default, 14 months’ jail for two charges of not displaying an original licence during a police operation and illegally displaying an advertisement outside the company’s entrance door.

The representative of the company, which is its director, pleaded guilty before Afiq and was fined RM2,000 and RM2,500, in default, seven months’ jail, respectively.

The first charge stated that the company did not exhibit its licence when the police conducted a check at the premises at Kampung Air on January 24.

The charge, under Section 10C of the Pawnbrokers Act 1972, is punishable by a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term of up to six months or both, upon conviction.

For the second count, the company had displayed a signboard without a licence on the same day and place.

The indictment came under Section 13B, punishable under Section 13B (2), both of the same Act 1972 which provides for a fine of up to RM20,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months or both, upon conviction.

It was learnt that both the companies had paid their fines.