Kota Kinabalu: A wooden scrap collector was charged in the Magistrate’s Court with having two pieces of stolen battenboard.
Mohd Azbi And Halim, 23, earlier pleaded guilty of committing the offence at 1.30am on Oct 18 at the Kedai Makan Mee Pansit in Sembulan.
The Magistrate’s Court however, rejected Azbi’s guilty plea after he disputed the facts of the case.
The court fixed Dec 14 for case management and released Azbi on RM1,000 bail undeposited in one surety.
Earlier, the prosecution in tendering the facts of the case, told the court that Azbi was arrested by police for having the stolen Beruti wood at the said premises and that the shop owner was also informed about the matter.
Azbi told the court that he took the battenboard from the side of a garbage bin and that the wood was already in bad condition.
He also claimed that he took the battenboard as he wanted to sell them to buy food but he was arrested instead.
When the court showed him the picture of the wood, Azbi denied it and claimed that the condition of the battenboard which he took was already bad and that they were in black coloured.
The prosecution applied for a case management date and proposed bail at RM4,000.
Duty counsel Lim Ming Zoong @ Lawrence, representing Azbi, applied for a lower bail on the grounds that he is married with one child and that his income depends on how much recycled wood he can collect and resell.
Azbi, is the sole breadwinner to his family and that he also needs to pay house rent, said Lawrence.
To a question by the court, Azbi said he stayed with his father at Kg Sembulan Lama.
He was charged under Section 411 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to five years or fine or both, upon conviction.
In another case, a 32-year-old fisherman was charged with taking syabu.
However, no plea was recorded from Rolly Nuhbi, who was charged under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or up to two years jail, upon conviction.
The prosecution applied for another mention date pending the chemist’s report and objected bail for Rolly as he has no valid document.
The court set Dec 14 for mention and ordered Rolly to be remanded further.
Inspector Lim Swee Beng prosecuted.
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