MIRI: The magistrates’ court here yesterday sentenced a 20-year-old man to three months imprisonment and fined him RM2,000, in default three months jail, for killing a hornbill named Faridah in Miri on Sept 24 this year.
Michael Rabai of Desa Murni, Permyjaya, was convicted on his own guilty plea by Magistrate Mohamad Redza Azhar Rezali for killing a totally protected hornbill at Piasau Garden Public Park.
The man, however, failed to pay the fine and will be jailed six months at Lambir Prison.
He was found guilty under Section 29 (1) of the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1988, punishable under Section 29(1)(c) of the Ordinance. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for two years and a fine of RM25,000.
Mohamad Redza, in passing the sentence, said the Court took into consideration the guilty plea made by the accused.
Two other suspects were released unconditionally.
According to the brief facts of the case, a group of Sarawak Forestry officers led by Upai Balang rushed to Piasau Garden Public Park on the afternoon of Sept 24 after Upai told them that some individuals were catching a hornbill there.
Upai said he saw three persons standing near a pick-up lorry and called out to them to hand over the bird but they refused and left the area. He took some snapshots of them before they left, and a police report was subsequently lodged at Miri Central Police station.
On Sept 26, Upai identified the three suspects arrested by Police and was told by ASP Cheong Soon yew that the trio had already confessed to involvement in capturing and killing of the bird.
The accused person, who was represented by Ranbill Singh, admitted to committing the offence with a catapult on Sept 24 at 12.30 pm, and the hornbill was later disposed of inside a bulk rubbish bin at Jalan Datuk Edward Jeli.
Meanwhile, Piasau Camp Nature Park Society (PCNPS) pro-tem chairman Datuk Sebastian Ting was glad that the culprit was sentenced in court.
“The case is the first here as far as I can remember. Nevertheless I am happy that it concluded speedily and I hope with the case a lot of people will take notice of the law. Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” he said when asked to comment on the sentence meted by the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday.
Sebastian also said the society had written to Sarawak Forestry Corporation which had agreed that the carcass of the hornbill be preserved.