RM45,000 and RM10,000 fines were imposed on two Bitcoin cryptocurrency miners after they admitted they paid Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) agents to stop prosecuting them for energy theft.
Sinar Daily reported that a judge at the Sessions Court fined 33-year-old Tey Boon Sin and 43-year-old Leang Ting Sheng.
Two Bitcoin cryptocurrency miners were fined RM45,000 and RM10,000 each respectively after pleading guilty to bribing a Tenaga Nasional Berhad agents as inducement not to take action against them for stealing electricity. #TNB #Bitcoin #Cryptocurrency https://t.co/n2rQamIuzE
— Sinar Daily (@sinardailymy) October 4, 2022
In addition to bribing TNB agents not to prosecute them for energy theft, they were accused of two other offenses.
What Are the Charges?
In each of the two cases, Tey received RM20,000 in fines and five months in prison for the first offense, RM25,000 in fines and six months in prison for the second offense, while Leang received RM3,000 in penalties and two months in jail for the second offense.
According to the allegations, Tey is accused of paying RM14,500 and RM17,500 to TNB agents to prevent them from prosecuting him for energy theft.
Took 1 year for this? How about the ILLIGEL BITCOIN aktiviti?
Zzzzz.@AGCPutrajaya@SPRMMalaysia
All country… 🤣🤣https://t.co/OW6sHsZTwg— Kamzam (@Kamzam08477773) October 4, 2022
In the case that was filed on October 6, 2021, at 3:45 p.m. at the Starbucks Coffee outlet on Kota Laksamana road, and in the case that was filed on November 19, 2021, at 6 p.m. in front of the General Perbadanan Kemajuan Tanah Adat Melaka building, he is accused of committing the offenses.
With the same motive, Leang allegedly provided bribes between RM500 and RM2,500 to TNB agents.
There were two parking lots where these offenses were committed: one at Freeport A Famosa Outlet in Alor Gajah at 3.50 p.m. on October 4, 2021, and one at Medan Samudera on Jalan Merdeka at 4 p.m. on September 20, 2021.
Upon conviction, the accused may face up to 10 years in prison, a fine, or both under Section 214 of the Penal Code.
In the case of Leang, attorney Azri Abd Hamid represented him, while in the case of Tey, attorney Azrul Zulkifli Stork represented him. The case was brought by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Irwan Shah Abdul Samat.
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