Plantation worker gets three years jail, whipping for cheating travel agencies

KUALA LUMPUR - A plantation worker was sentenced to a total of three years in jail and given three strokes of the cane by three Magistrate’s Court here today for cheating three travel agencies, involving losses amounting to RM26,588.

T. Haans Raaj, 22, was charged with three counts of cheating, read out separately before three magistrates.

They are Magistrates Aina Azahra Ariffin, Wong Chai Sia and Atiqah Mohamed @ Mohamad Saim, who then sentenced Haans Raaj to one year in prison and one stroke of the cane after he pleaded guilty to the charge that was read out before them, respectively.

All three magistrates ordered Haans Raaj to serve the prison sentence from the date of his arrest on Dec 19.

On the first count, Haans was charged with cheating Tabung Haji Travel & Tours by making non-existent payments causing the company to hand over tickets worth RM15,397 at the Tabung Haji Building, Jalan Tun Razak here, last June 8.

He was also charged with cheating Sedunia Travel & Tours in the same way, resulting in the company handing over tickets worth RM6,231 at Menara Genesis 33, Jalan Sultan Ismail here, last Nov 25.

On the third count, he was charged with cheating Across Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, resulting in the company to hand over tickets worth RM4,960 at Medan Pasar City Centre here last Dec 16.

All the charges were framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides imprisonment for up to 10 years, whipping and is liable with fine, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutors B. Sareeka, Nur Hafiezah Mohamed Fauzi and Nadia Eleena Jamaluddin Akbar represented the prosecution in the three cases respectively, while Haans was unrepresented. - BERNAMA