KUANTAN: A self-employed man who shot a monkey trapped in a cage and then spray painted the animal was fined RM9,000 by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to committing the offences in April.
Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali also ordered the accused, Rozaman Ismail @ Osman, 42, to serve two months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
Rozaman was accused of committing the offence at 3pm on April 17 at a house in Kempadang Utama, Astaka Village here, and was charged under Section 86 (1) (f) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to a year, or both, if convicted.
Earlier, Rozaman, who was not represented, appealed for leniency on the grounds that he, as the sole breadwinner of his family, needed to support his wife and two children.
Prosecuting officer from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) Ahmad Ikhwan Zainuddin, however, pressed for a just sentence.
According to the facts of the case, the accused was the individual featured in a video which went viral on social media in April, showing a man abusing a monkey in a cage.
The animal had earlier entered the trap set by Perhilitan following complaints by residents of monkeys wreaking havoc in the housing area.
Rozaman paid the fine.