Engineer gets four months jail, RM550k fine for keeping protected wildlife

KAJANG: An engineer who kept various types of animals, including a tiger and crocodile, at his home was fined RM550,000 and sentenced to four months in prison after pleading guilty to nine counts of possessing protected wildlife species by the Kajang Sessions Court today.
Sessions judge Noridah Adam also ordered a four-year jail sentence imposed against Mohd Taha Abd Wahab should he fail to pay the fine.
However, Mohd Taha paid the fine.
On the first and second counts, the accused was charged with keeping a female tiger and a leopard cat at his house in Batu 13 3/4, Jalan Sekolah, Kampung Gahal Jaya, Hulu Langat, here, at 12.30pm on Oct 19, last year.
On the third to ninth counts, he was accused of keeping a red eagle, common green magpie, two Murai Jambul Putih birds, a Schneider's Dwarf Caiman reptile, a mouse-deer, a common hill mynah, and a Murai Batu at the same place and time.
All the animals are protected under the First Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).
On the charge of keeping the tiger, the accused was charged under Section 70 (2) of the Wildlife Conservation Act (Act 716) which provides for a fine not exceeding RM500,000 and a jail term of up to five years, if convicted.
On the charge of keeping the leopard cat, he was charged under Section 70(1) of the same Act, facing a fine of up to RM300,000 or a jail term of up to 10 years, or both, if convicted.
On another four counts, he was charged under Section 60(1)(a) of the same Act which carries a fine of up to RM50,000 or up to two years' jail, or both.
For the remaining three counts, he was charged under Section 68(1)(a) of the same Act, which carries a fine of up RM100,000 or up to three years' jail, or both.
The court ordered Mohd Taha to serve his sentence from the date of arrest, on Oct 19, last year.
Wildlife Department DPP Ainul Mardiyah Mohd Ali appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by counsel Zaflee Pakwanteh.