KUCHING: Fifteen convicted gamblers were yesterday slapped with a RM350 fine each in default a month’s jail in a magistrates’ court here for participating in a game of holo in public at Tapah last Monday.
The accused, aged 20 to 51, pleaded guilty to the offence.
They were arrested in a coffee shop in Tapah Village at about 11.10pm on Jan 14.
A receptacle, staking cloth, three dice and table money worth RM148 were seized as exhibits in the raid conducted by the police from the state Anti-Vice, Gaming and Gangsterism unit (D7).
They were all convicted under Section 6(1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
Originally 17 suspects were arrested. One of them failed to turn up in court yesterday and a warrant of arrest was issued. He is to appear in Court on Feb 19.
Another accused was discharged and acquitted while the rest paid their fines.
In the same courtroom, two men claimed trial to a charge of retaining a stolen Asus laptop and Samsung Galaxy Tab2 at their house in Taman Sri Moyan, Jalan Batu Kawa at 11.30am on Dec 26 last year.
Ng Tjhiap Seng and Chee Choon Moi pleaded not guilty to the charge framed under Section 411 of the Penal Code.
The Section provides for a maximum jail term up to five years or fine, or both upon conviction.
The two were ordered to appear in Court again on Feb 19 for their case management, and the trial was fixed for April 15 to 17.
Both accused represented by defence counsel Francis Teron were released on RM1,000 bail in one surety each, pending the trial.
Magistrate Maris Agan presided over the cases while Inspector Yunus Sahak prosecuted.