March 18 case management for man accused of keeping stolen items

KOTA KINABALU: The Magistrate's Court here yesterday fixed March 18 for case management of a man charged with keeping a stolen bag and cellphone.

Magistrate Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim set the date for Mohd Shah Rizz Mali, 20, after the latter pleaded not guilty to having the items owned by a man at Kampung Darau in Manggatal at 1.50am on February 8.

The unrepresented accused was released on RM2,000 bail with two local sureties.

In a separate case, a man was fined RM2,500, in default, six months' jail by the same court for possessing a stolen cellphone.

Usmin Hussin, 35, who pleaded guilty to having the gadget belonging to a man, was arrested at a compound of a shopping complex here on October 13, 2018.

In mitigation, counsel Farazwin Haxdy prayed for a lowest fine for her client.

She submitted that her client was a first offender and had been detained in custody for 16 days which served as a lesson to him.

The counsel also said that while in the lock-up, the accused was suffering from asthma.

When asked by court, the accused claimed that he did not know that cellphone was a stolen item as a woman, who sold it to him, said that she would give him the box and purchasing receipt later.

The accused also explained that he pitied the woman, who claimed to have family problems and he bought the gadget for

RM950 even though the cellphone had just been released in the market.

The court also ordered for the exhibit to be returned to its rightful owner and the accused's IMM13 document to be returned to him but he will be referred to the Immigration Department thereafter.