POLICEMAN GETS FIVE YEARS’ JAIL, ONE STROKE FOR UNLAWFUL PARANG POSSESSION

KUCHING, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- A police constable was sentenced to five years in prison and one stroke of the cane by the Sessions Court here today for possessing a dangerous weapon without lawful authority.

Judge Iris Awen Jon handed down the sentence to Mohd Hastree Mohamad, 36, after he pleaded guilty to possessing a parang without a reasonable excuse during a police inspection at a car park near the Kuching district police headquarters on Sept 29.

He was charged under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, which carries a jail term of between five and 10 years and possible whipping upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Aiman Mutalib Muhammad Shariff prosecuted the case, while the accused was unrepresented.

In a separate proceeding at the Magistrate’s Court, Mohd Hastree was also sentenced to two weeks in jail by Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan after pleading guilty to being absent from duty as a police officer without reasonable cause for nearly five months, from May 14 to Sept 29.

For the offence, he was charged under Section 86 of the Police Act 1967, which provides for a jail term of up to 12 months upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng prosecuted the case, while the accused was unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA