Man denies cheating four over Mt Kinabalu climbing services

KOTA KINABALU: A selfemployed man claimed trial at the Magistrate’s Courts here yesterday to four counts of cheating four persons involving RM5,200 by saying he could manage services to climb Mount Kinabalu.

Three of the accused’s cases were heard before magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus while another one was mentioned before magistrate Afiq Agoes.

Razif Ating was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides for a jail term of up to 10 years and whipping and also liable to a fine upon conviction.

On the first to the fourth charges, the 35-year-old accused had allegedly cheated three women and a man of RM900, RM600, RM2,200 and RM1,500 respectively by making them believe that he could manage their climbing activities.

The alleged offences were committed in Likas, at an office at the Sabah police headquarters in Kepayan and at a restaurant here between May 29 and November 23, 2017.

For the three charges, the accused was granted RM3,500 bail with RM3,000 deposited with two local sureties for each of the charges and to report once a month to the investigating officer of the case and the case managements were set on October 17.

As for his fourth charge, the accused was released on a lower bail of RM1,800 with two local sureties after counsel Farah Saira Abd Razak from the National Legal Aid Foundation, who represented the accused only for the fourth charge, requested for him to be granted a lower bail amount.

The counsel submitted that the accused is the sole breadwinner for his family and his monthly income was only around RM1,200.

The court fixed September 26 for the case management of the fourth charge.

Prosecuting officers Inspector Albert Basiri and Inspector Nur Hidayah Mahzan appeared for the prosecution.