Photo for illustration purposes only.
KUCHING (Nov 10): The Magistrates’ Court here today sentenced a 31-year-old man to five months’ jail for attempting to steal underground electrical cables belonging to Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB).
Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan convicted Mohamad Iskandar Helmi on his own guilty plea to a charge framed under Section 379 of the Penal Code, read together with Sections 511 and 34 of the same Code.
The Section provides for a maximum jail term of three and a half years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Mohamad Iskandar, together with three men still at large, committed the offence at a road in front of a government building at Mile 12, Jalan Puncak Borneo around 12.20am on Nov 8, 2023.
Based on the facts of the case, an SEB worker (complainant) received a call from his colleague saying the government building had its power supply cut on the night of the incident.
Following that, the complainant along with SEB auxiliary police personnel and technicians were deployed to the scene to resolve the issue.
Upon their arrival at the scene, they found four men digging the ground to take the underground electrical cables.
Upon realising the team’s presence, all the men attempted to flee.
However, the complainant managed to apprehend Mohamad Iskandar.
Several tools such as a 30cm machete, iron cutter, hoe, and other items were also seized.
Mohamad Iskandar was then handed over to the police for further action.
The investigation found that Mohamad Iskandar and the three other men were digging the ground with the intent to steal underground electrical cables belonging to SEB.
Insp Merylene Lindan Andrew Mang conducted the prosecution, while Mohamad Iskandar was unrepresented by legal counsel.