A former private hospital health consultant was handed a hefty fine by the Ampang Magistrate’s Court today for trespassing into the operating room of Ampang Hospital to secure anesthetics for his personal use last week.
The unnamed 33-year-old suspect pleaded guilty as soon as the charge was read out before Magistrate Normaizan Rahim.
M’sian man breaks into Ampang Hospital to steal anesthetics
According to Harian Metro, the suspect was accused of breaking into one of the operating rooms at Ampang Hospital at 3.05am on July 9 with the intention to steal anesthetics.
The charge was framed under Section 448 of the Penal Code, which is punishable under the same section. If found guilty, the suspect faces a maximum imprisonment of three years, a fine of RM5,000, or both.
The suspect’s lawyer, Ungku Ikram Athari asked the court to hand out a fine, citing that his client suffered from depression, schizophrenia, and multiple personality disorder.
“His guilty plea has saved the court’s time and after the incident, he lost his job but still had to support his siblings. He has also been suffering from depression since 2019 and is currently receiving treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Ungku also requested for a good behaviour bond to be issued, adding that the suspect returned the anesthetics he had taken.
Fined RM3,500 by court
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Peh Fong Xi objected, saying that the suspect’s actions were premeditated as he wore surgical scrubs to enter the operating room.
She also asked the court to mete out a sentence that was proportionate to the crime as well as consider public interest factors.
Magistrate Normaizan later handed out a RM3,500 fine towards the suspect and ordered him to serve five months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
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