Two Indonesians, express bus driver charged over forest magpies

JOHOR BARU: Two Indonesian men and a local bus driver were charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with illegal possession of 247 forest magpies (white-rumped shama).
Aat Yudianto, 49, from Cilacap, and Ernawan Hadianto, 25, from Jakarta were fined RM30,000 in default 12 months imprisonment each, by judge Kamarudin Kamsun after they pleaded guilty to three charges.
The duo represented by counsel Muhammad Ashraf Mohd Diah committed the offences in an express bus at Km32.8 North-South Highway, near the Kulai lay-by, around 6.10am on March 14.
The bus driver, Misoun Yusof, 61, from Air Hitam, Muar claimed trial and was released on an un-deposited bail of RM5,000 pending re-mention of his case on April 6.
Earlier, his counsel Tarmeze Mohd Yusof Mohd Taib requested for a lower bail, telling the court that "the accused has a wife and three children including a special-needs son to support and was not directly involved in the case".
Prosecuting officer Shamsul Hakim Ahmad represented the Wildlife Conservation Department and National Parks. — Bernama