Man accused of hiding another person’s money acquitted, discharged

KOTA KINABALU: The Magistrate’s Court here yesterday freed a man from a charge of hiding another person’s money amounting RM79,000 inside a bank account registered under his name two years ago.

Magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie acquitted and discharged Tahir Ruddin Tahan, 32, without calling for his defence after she ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Tahir.

Tahir was accused of dishonestly hiding the said amount of cash in his bank account at a bank branch here on April 18, 2019.

The charge was framed under Section 424 of the Penal Code which is punishable by a jail term of up to five years or a fine or both, upon conviction.

The prosecution had called three witnesses to testify against Tahir, who was represented by counsel Dominic Chew Ban Huat, since the trial commenced on November 12.