KUCHING: Two Indonesians were each sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to possessing counterfeit banknotes.
Wawan Riduanto, 31, and Emi Diansari, 37, were charged with possessing various denominations of counterfeit Malaysian Ringgit banknotes amounting to RM138,920.
The offence occurred by the roadside along Jalan Serian-Tebedu, Serian, at approximately 4.45 pm on October 8.
They were jointly charged with two other men – local citizen Abang Firdaus Abang Abdul Malek, 29, and Indonesian national Hendra, 32 – who pleaded not guilty to the same charge.
All four were accused of possessing 1,200 pieces of RM100 notes, 240 pieces of RM50 notes, 296 pieces of RM20 notes and 100 pieces of RM10 notes.
Judge Musli Abdul Hamid ordered the prison sentence for the unrepresented Emi and Wawan to take effect from today.
The charge was framed under Sections 489C and 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutors P. Ruvinasini and Asmawi Nur Haqim Mokhtar conducted the prosecution, while Patrick Voon represented Hendra and Abang Firdaus.
The court set November 13 for case mention, allowing Abang Firdaus bail of RM20,000 with two local sureties, while Hendra was ordered to be remanded in prison.
According to case facts, a General Operations Force Battalion 23 team detained two foreign men riding a motorcycle suspiciously by the roadside, believed to have recently entered through the Tebedu-Entikong border.
Upon questioning, they led police to another individual nearby, resulting in the discovery of the counterfeit banknotes.
Subsequently, a woman was also arrested in connection with the case. – Bernama
