KOTA KINABALU: A 50-year-old Indonesian woman was sentenced to three years in prison by the Sandakan Sessions Court on Tuesday for acting as a prostitution agent.
Lely Fiter pleaded guilty before Judge Zaini Fisher @ Fisal to charges under Section 372 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes exploiting others for prostitution. Her sentence began on the date of her arrest, and she will be deported after serving her term.
Police raided Lely’s rented apartment at Taman Mawar Apartment at 3:30 p.m. on July 29 following a tip-off. An officer, posing as a customer, paid RM150 for sexual services with a 26-year-old local woman. Officers intervened before any act occurred, arresting both women and seizing RM150 in cash (the payment), condoms, tissues, and a mobile phone as evidence.
The local woman, Zuraini Mohd Zaini, who admitted to offering sexual services, was fined RM1,800 or, in default, three months’ jail under Section 372B of the Penal Code by Magistrate Nur Faezah Jafry. She confessed to engaging in prostitution due to financial difficulties, stating that she received RM100 per transaction while Lely kept RM50 as commission.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Azizi Hamil prosecuted Lely’s case, while ASP Zamri Zakaria prosecuted the local woman’s case.