KOTA KINABALU: An Indonesian man faces a four-year jail sentence for killing an endangered Borneo pygmy elephant in 2019 in Sabah's Tawau district.

       In handing down the sentence, Tawau Sessions Court judge Awang Kerisnada Mahmud ordered that the sentence of 46-year-old Martin Alok run from the date of his remand on Oct 14, 2019.

       The sentencing on Wednesday (July 14) comes after Martin pleaded guilty on Tuesday (July 13) to the offence under Section 41(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for possession of a fully protected animal and its body parts.

       In handing down the sentence to the unrepresented Martin, Awang ordered for Martin to be handed over the Immigration Department for deportation at the end of his jail sentence.

       However, the judge allowed for three others charged with the crime to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

       The three were Paranchoi Nordin, 61 Abdullah Simin. 70 and Jaifol Liun, 54.

       However, prior to this, two of the three given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal were sentenced to two years in jail for offences under the Firearms Act.

       In the Sungai Udin case, an elephant carcass was found along the river on Sept 25, 2019. It was found to have been shot some 30 times with its tusks removed.