KOTA KINABALU: The Magistrate’s Court here yesterday ordered a woman to enter her defence on eight charges of cheating a company manager of RM256,300 seven years ago.
Magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus made the decision on Fatimah Bangawan, 45, after the former ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused.
Balitus’ ruling was delivered by magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie.
The first to the fourth counts stated that the accused had allegedly deceived the victim of RM60,000, RM4,300, RM103,000 and RM14,000 respectively, by saying that they were payments of land tax, stamp duty and premium and penalty to be made on a land grant belonging to one Chow Shee Seng when in fact the land had been taken by the government on August 31, 1987.
The fifth to the seventh charges accused Fatima of cheating the same victim by saying that five land grants had been issued by the Lands and Surveys Department, when in fact those land grants were never registered with the department, and induced the victim to hand over to her another RM15,000 and RM5,000 twice, respectively.
On the eighth count, the accused had allegedly cheated the victim to give her another RM50,000 by saying that there was a land grant, when in fact the land did not belong to the accused and was also non-existent.
All the offences which were framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code were allegedly committed at a land company office at Damai Plaza here between May 24 and September 24, 2007.
The indictment carries a maximum jail of 10 years and whipping and also liable to a fine upon conviction.
The court fixed December 9 for the accused to enter her defence.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Nazneen Zulkifli had called six witnesses to testify against the accused and she is currently released on court bail pending disposal of the case.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Azaman Hamat stood in for Ahmad Nazneen while counsel Goldam Hamid represented the accused.