MALACCA: An odd-job worker who used a counterfeit note to purchase four bunches of petai (bitter beans) from a vegetable seller here, was sentenced to three years’ jail by the sessions court today.
S.M Krisnan, 30, pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him in Tamil by a court interpreter before sessions judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi.
Krisnan was charged under Section 489B of the Penal Code for knowingly using a fake RM100 note, with the serial number AF1811083, as real tender to purchase petai.
He committed the offence at Batang Tiga market in Pantai Klebang here, at about 2.15pm on Apr 15.
In mitigation, Krisnan pleaded for a lenient sentence, as he is the sole breadwinner for his wife and two young children.
According to the facts of the case, Krisnan purchased four bunches of petai from a vegetable seller for RM28. He handed the RM100 counterfeit note to the vegetable seller’s assistant, for which he received change of RM72.
Krisnan then left the stall “in a rush”.
Upon inspection, the seller noticed that the money was fake and later lodged a report at the Batang Tiga police station.
Deputy public prosecutor N. Sivashangari, in seeking a deterrent sentence, told the court that using counterfeit money is a serious crime in Malaysia, although she acknowledged that Krisnan has no criminal record.
Judge Meor Sulaiman handed down the jail sentence of three years from the date of Krisnan’s arrest on Apr 17, and ruled that the counterfeit note be handed over to the prosecution.