Court orders conditional release of five in online job scam case
- RALPH ADVOCATES
- Oct 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 6
KUCHING (June 17): The Magistrates’ Court here today granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) to four men and a woman charged with online job scam offences involving non-existent employment offers last year.
Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali made the ruling after allowing an application by defence counsel Ralph Lee, who sought the DNAA on the grounds that the prosecution was not ready to proceed with the case.
It was understood that trial dates had been set since November last year, but the prosecution had yet to make the necessary preparations, including the failure to issue any subpoenas to date.
“As such, the court does not allow any further postponement and orders all five accused to be discharged not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
“The cash bail is to be refunded, and the previously fixed trial dates are hereby vacated,” said Magistrate Syarifah during the case mention today.
The three men, aged between 29 and 32, were identified as Chai Wen Pin, Hoe Chun Sheng, Lai Kim Wei and Lim Guo Cai, while the woman was Neo Jia Yi, 26.
They were all charged under Section 120B(1) of the Penal Code read together with Section 417 of the same Code, which carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
According to the charge, the five were accused of conspiring to commit the offence together at around 4.30pm on Aug 22, 2024, at a premises along Jalan Datuk Stephen Yong Link here.
It is also understood that their alleged modus operandi involved targeting international victims, including those in Germany.
The syndicate allegedly deceived victims by offering fake online jobs and used cryptocurrency (USDT) as the mode of payment by victims to the syndicate.
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