KOTA KINABALU: A Filipina was fined RM800, in default, two months’ jail by the Immigration Court here yesterday for violating her social visit pass by working as a masseuse.
Lolita Reyes Del Rosario, 39, pleaded guilty before deputy registrar of the High Court, Mohd Hafizi Abd Halim, to a charge under Section 39B of the Immigration Act 1959/1963.
The offence provides for a fine not exceeding RM1,000 or a jail term of up to six months, or both, upon conviction.
The accused, who was represented by counsel P.J Perira, was arrested during an operation at Bandaran Berjaya here on March 6.
Meanwhile, the same court gave a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Pakistani Gulzar Ali Sher Ali, 35, for a similar charge.
Mohd Hafizi, who sat as a Sessions Court judge, made the decision on the accused following an application by the prosecution to withdraw the charge.
Gulzar Ali was alleged to have violated his social visit pass by working as a cloth seller.
His lawyer, Perira, had written a representation to the deputy public prosecution’s office for the withdrawal of the charge framed against his client.
The judge also ordered both the passports of Lolita and Gulzar Ali to be returned to them. Lolita was also ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department thereafter for further action.
It was learnt that the passport of Gulzar Ali is still valid until August this year.
In an unrelated case, Indonesian Antonius Maran was jailed for three months by the same court after he admitted to overstaying in the State.
The unrepresented accused was convicted under Section 15 (1) (c) of the same Act which is punishable by a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to RM10,000, or both, upon conviction.