LAHAD DATU: The Magistrate’s Court yesterday sentenced a foreigner to five years’ jail for abducting and wrongfully confining a 12-year-old girl.
Pani Bin Tangga, 27, was handed down with the jail term after he pleaded guilty to a charge framed under Section 365 of the Penal Code before Sessions Court judge M.Rajalingam who presided as a magistrate.
The offence carries with it a maximum seven years’ jail and also liable to a fine upon conviction.
Pani was accused of kidnapping Erma Binti Elias on September 21, this year.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Soffi Jalal told the court that the victim’s grandfather who was the complainant in the case, became aware that his granddaughter was not at home about 11.30pm on September 21, this year.
A search for the granddaughter was organised but to no avail when until September 25, the girl’s mother told the complainant of receiving a call from the girl that she had been abducted and was at Kampung Tambuluran 1, Kudat.
The police were alerted and it led to the arrest of the accused and another man.
Pani was also ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation to his country of origin after serving the custodial sentence.