CONMAN IN EKASIH FRAUD HANDED 21 YEARS JAIL SENTENCE, 14 STROKES OF THE ROTAN

IPOH, July 24 (Bernama) -- The Ipoh Magistrate Court today sentenced a labourer to 21 years jail and 14 strokes of the rotan after finding him guilty of 13 charges for swindling elderly people by offering eKasih services since January to June this year.

Muhammad Halmi Ismail, 49, pleaded guilty to all the charges framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides for a jail sentence of 10 years and rotan and can also be fined if convicted, in proceedings held separately.

The accused however, need only serve four years in prison and 14 strokes of the rotan after both the magistrates set the sentence to be carried out concurrently from the date of the trial. 

In the trial before magistrate Siti Nora Sharif, Muhammad Halmi pleaded guilty to four charges of swindling four senior citizens, aged between 65 and 76, by posing as an officer to offer a non-existent eKasih assistance.

According to the charges, Muhammad Halmi had convinced his victims to pay between RM450 and RM800 for the process of applying for eKasih assistance while the offences were carried out at banks in the Kinta district here between 12 noon to 2pm from Jan 23 to April 22.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Nur Aqilah Syaza Ariffin and Nuranisah Ismah Muhammad Husaini while the accused was represented by lawyers Robert Gnanarajan and M.Kathan from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

Meanwhile, in a separate Magistrate Court, Muhammad Halmi pleaded guilty to nine charges of cheating nine individuals, aged between 60 and 77, by using the same modus operandi and urging his victims to pay between RM200 to RM900.

All the offences were said to have taken place in the Kinta district here from 10.30 am to 3.45 pm between Jan 1 to June 23.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Hidayu Zakaria while the accused was represented by Dayang Nor Emilia Azman Shah and Kathan from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

Yesterday, Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris a 49-year-old suspect was detained for posing as an eKasih aid officer to swindle more than 30 elderly people in Perak since January, involving RM16,250 and will be standing trial for the offences.

Azizi said police managed to arrest the suspect at the Kota Setar police headquarters in Kedah on July 2, after receiving 38 reports about the trail of deception.

-- BERNAMA