SIBU: A 52-year-old man has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail after he pleaded guilty to cheating his friend of RM8,650 over a job.

       Hasirin Ismail from Semporna, Sabah was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating at a Magistrate's Court here on Thursday (Jan 27).

       According to the facts of the case, the accused had on June 26, 2020 offered the victim a job as the general manager of an oil palm estate in West Kalimantan, Indonesia through WhatsApp.

       The victim, who had known the accused for 20 years and worked with him for seven, was made to transfer the amount in question to two bank accounts.

       The money was purportedly for the processing of his work permit, registration fee and visa fee.

       He realised that he had been cheated after finding out that the company did not exist and the telephone number was unreachable, after which he lodged a police report which led to Hasirin's arrest on Jan 7 this year in Daro.

       The case was heard before Magistrate Syukri Mohktar.