PUTRAJAYA, April 16 — The Shah Alam High Court has upheld the conviction and four-year sentence of a Guinean citizen for possessing 1,189 pieces of counterfeit RM100 notes.
Justice Roszianayati Ahmad dismissed Lamah Moriba's appeal against the conviction and sentence imposed on him by the Sessions Court.
The 41-year-old was charged with possession of counterfeit notes in the hotel parking lot in Petaling Jaya at 6pm on March 5, 2020.
In her written grounds of judgment uploaded to the Judicial Website on April 10, Justice Roszianayati said that she found the accused's conviction safe and that the prosecution had successfully proven all elements of the charge under Section 489C of the Penal Code.
On August 14, 2024, the Sessions Court found Lamah guilty of the charge and sentenced him to four years in prison. He subsequently appealed the decision to the High Court.
Based on the facts of the case, the accused was arrested in a shopping mall parking lot after a complainant filed a police report. He had attempted to flee but was successfully apprehended.
During questioning, Lamah directed police to a car parked in the hotel's parking lot. The counterfeit money was found in a plastic bag in the vehicle's front passenger footwell.
Bank Negara Malaysia's Currency Procurement and Counterfeiting Division manager testified that all 1,189 pieces of RM100 notes were counterfeit.
In her judgment, Justice Roszianayati said the accused's actions of leading police to the car and showing them the plastic bag containing the counterfeit money proved both his possession of the notes and his knowledge of them.
She added that the four-year prison sentence imposed by the Sessions Court was commensurate with the offence and should not be interfered with.
