Olang Kulang Ajaq

Malaysian Pleads Guilty to Credit Card Fraud

A Malaysian national pleaded guilty to five counts of credit card fraud at his second hearing in the criminal court yesterday.

So Soon Teck, a 38-year old cook who entered Q@tar on a visit visa, admitted to possessing and using cloned credit cards, forging signatures and defrauding Atlas Jewellery of QR12,000 worth of goods.

The bench, comprising Justices Salah El Sharif, Mohamed Tawarsi and Dr Usama El Shenawi, set May 29 for judgement and sentencing.

Under Q@tar's new Criminal Code, formulated in 2004, So faces a maximum sentence of five years jail and/ or a fine of QR10,000.

"This is the firsttime we are trying credit card crimes, and also the first time we are trying a Malaysian national in our court," Justice Salah said in his chambers.

He assured that in sentencing, the bench would take into consideration So's guilty plea which had saved the court time and costs.

Asked about the plaster cast on his left forearm, So said he had sustained a fracture when he slipped in the bathroom in D0ha's Central Jail, which he is being held in custody together with six other Malaysians.

So is part of a group of five Malaysian nationals arrested on November 19 last year after the Criminal Investigation and Evidence Department's new Anti-Economic Crimes department (ACD) acted on tip-offs set in motion by a local bank.

The five, who were caught from two locations, had in their possession 165 forged creditcards which, they admitted, they had used to buy goods worth QR296,835 from 11 shops.

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Berita ini telah disiarkan di akhbar Bahasa Inggeris popular di sini iatu Gu1f T1mes di mukasurat 3 hari ini. Muka surat ketiga I tell you di mana sesetengah suratkhabar mengisahkan cerita-cerita penting sahaja di mukasurat ketiga. Ada juga suratkhabar memaparkan gambar-gambar yang tidak relevan. But still on page 3 with big title fonts.

Either kecurian is just so seldom or a Malaysian stealing is the issu, we can't tell for sure.

Tapi rata-rata warga Malaysia di sini kurang senang dengan berita ini. Our reputation in this country is good. Really really good. Generally people here have the highest respect for Malaysians. (Tapi dia kena tau yang ko Malaysian lah baru dia mau respect. Dia orang ni asyik ingat aku Indonesian maid or Filipino. Boring!!!)

Kulang ajaq punya olang. Kasi busuk nama negala gua aje! Memang cilaka!