Jail for stealing scaffolding metal

Kota Kinabalu: A Filipino labourer was sent to prison for 12 months on Friday for stealing several units of scaffolding metal from a construction site here.

Rayan Darkis, 27, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Lovely Natasha Charles to stealing the metals belonging to Gemibumi Sdn Bhd company at 9am on Nov 16 at the construction site of the Hyway Group (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd next to Maksak Hall in Likas.

The prosecution in presenting the facts of the case told the court that a police report have been lodged by a worker of the said construction site that the scaffolding metal had been stolen by two unknown men using a lorry.

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Rayan was arrested by police on Nov 21 and confessed to committing the offence along with a friend one Karim, who was still at large, said the prosecution.

The court heard that Rayan sold the metals to a scrap metal collector premises in Inanam for RM608 and divided the money with Karim.

The prosecution also told the court that the metals were then sold to a metal factory in KKIP and that the scaffolding metal had been melted.

Unrepresented, Rayan requested for a lenient sentence on the grounds that he is married with three children.

To a question by the court, Rayan said he has been in the State for five years and that he came to the State with his sister, who holds a MyKad.

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Rayan added that he has no identification document as he was schooling in the Philippines.

Inspector Kelvan Elson Maik, prosecuting, applied for an adequate sentence and for Rayan to be referred to the Immigration Department.

Rayan was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest and ordered referred to the Immigration Department thereafter.

He was charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to seven years or fine, or both on conviction.

In another case, a 24-year-old Filipino was charged with taking drugs.

However, no plea was recorded from the man while waiting for the chemist’s report.

The court set Jan 27 for E-review and ordered the man to be remanded further as he has no document.

The man was charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or up to two years, jail on conviction.