JASIN: An Indonesian trader has been sentenced to 15 months in jail and ordered to receive one stroke of the cane by a Magistrate’s Court here for defrauding an elderly man with a fake glowing gemstone that allegedly had healing properties.
Rino Pito, 47, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced by Magistrate Mohd Firdaus Saleh on Wednesday (July 12).
The defendant persuaded Talib Dahlan @ Jalsn, 76, to hand over RM54,500 in cash for the purchase of the gemstone, claiming that it possessed curative powers. The criminal act took place in Jasin Town on Oct 5 last year.
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The charge falls under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Hanis Aliah Ahamd Kamarulnajuib handled the prosecution, while Rino chose to represent himself.
As reported by The Star on Oct 13, an elderly Felda settler from Nyalas lost his life savings after falling victim to a scam by two individuals who promised to sell him the magical gemstone.
The victim, Talib Dahlan, became suspicious of the purported healing properties of the gemstone and subsequently lodged a police report.
According to then Jasin OCPD Deputy Supt Mispani Hamdan, one of the suspects noticed that the victim’s wife used a walking stick and capitalized on it by offering the gemstone as a cure-all remedy.
DSP Mispani explained that the suspect convinced the victim by submerging the gemstone in water, claiming that it would emit a glow, and then followed him to a bank in Tangkak, Johor, where the cash was withdrawn.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
