SANDAKAN: Four foreigners were each sentenced to eight months behind bars by the Sessions Court here on Friday after pleading guilty to two charges of illegal tree felling and trespassing within the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
The accused – identified as Nasir Abdullah, Parihin Ariffin, Arif Ariffin, and Firman Tompo – entered their guilty pleas before Sessions Court Judge Roslinda Razali after the charges were read out to them.
According to the first charge, the group was found to have unlawfully felled trees inside Lot 4 of the sanctuary at approximately 11.31 am last Tuesday. The second charge pertains to trespassing into the same protected area at the same time and date.
They were prosecuted under Section 17(1)(a) and Section 15(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, which are punishable under Subsections 17(3) and 15(4), as well as Section 96(7) of the same enactment.
Prosecuting Officer Primus Lambut from the Wildlife Department handled the case, while all four accused were unrepresented by legal counsel.
The court further ordered that upon completion of their jail terms, the men be referred to the Immigration Department for subsequent action. – James Leong
The four men outside the courtroom after sentencing on Friday.
