PUTRAJAYA: A secondary school English teacher was acquitted and discharged by a Magistrate’s Court in Labuan, Sabah for cheating three persons over the purchase of land parcels.
Magistrate Kasyfurrahman Abang Ahmad acquitted and discharged Fauziah Halim, 45, yesterday without her defence being called.
According to Fauziah’s lawyer Datuk Seri K.Rakhbir Singh, the magistrate had ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against his client and freed her of all the charges.
Fauziah was charged with two charges of cheating Salmah Abdul Rahman. For the first charge, she was accused of inducing her (Salmah) to release RM5,000 in relation to the purchase of land lot located in Kg. Bukit Kuda in Labuan, Sabah on April 11, 2016.
For the second charge, she was alleged to have induced Salmah to release RM72,500 on June 7, 2016, also in relation to a purchase of the same land.
Fauziah was also accused of cheating Nor Aslinda Yaacop to part with RM20,000 in connection with the purchase of another lot of land in the same location on Jan 31, 2018.
For the third charge, Fauziah was alleged to have cheated Zainol Anuar Mohd Noor to part with RM40,000 on Jan 10, 2017, for the purchase of another lot of land in the same location.
The teacher with over 20 years of experience was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code which carries a punishment of up to 10 years’ jail, with whipping and can also be fined if convicted.
The trial commenced on Aug 6, 2019.-Bernama
