SEPANG, Feb 28 — An online trader was fined RM50,000, by the Sessions Court here today, after he pleaded guilty to 10 charges of improper use of network facilities by creating and initiating the transmission of obscene communications.

Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar meted out a fine of RM5,000 on each count, in default three months’ jail, on Mohamad Faezi Abd Latif, 25, who was charged with using a Twitter account of  "plughijau002” to create and initiate the transmission of the obscene communications with the intention of offending others.

The offence was committed at Menara MCMC Cyberjaya here between 1.07am and 10.03pm, between August 7 and September 30, 2018.

Mohamad Faezi was charged under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act 1998 [Act 588], which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or jail term not exceeding one year or both, upon conviction.

In mitigation, lawyer Farasyeriza Md Zabani from the Legal Aid Department, representing Mohamad Faezi, said the obscene communications by her client was an act to promote his product, known as "belacak” oil.

Prosecuting officer from MCMC, Norhani Mohd Adzhar, prosecuted.

Meanwhile, in another Sessions Court, Muhammad Firdaus Akil, 30, who is unemployed, pleaded not guilty to a charge of knowingly, by means of a network application service, Mega cloud, providing obscene communications for commercial purposes to another man via email in March 2017.

The offence, under Section 233 (2)(a) of the MCMC Act 1998, was allegedly committed at Menara MCMC, Cyberjaya, at 5.27 pm on March 15, 2017.

His lawyer, Hayat Muhamad, requested for a minimum bail, saying that his client was supporting an ailing father.

Following which, judge Tengku Shahrizam Tuan Lah, using the court’s discretion, released him without bail and set March 26 for submission of documents. — Bernama