Kuala lumpur: Eleven men were fined RM3,000 each by the Magistrate's Court here today after they pleaded guilty to charges involving non-existent loans.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, all the accused, aged between 19 and 41, entered their guilty plea after the charges were read out separately before Magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli. Willie Ngam Tee, Lai Wen Bin, Chee Juen Hoe, Vincent Lim Liang, Jerry Teo Chee, Sim Wee Yung, and Chin Chye Fui were charged with conspiring to offer non-existent loans and induce others to hand over money at a caf© here at 2:30 pm on August 26, contrary to Section 420 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Tan Wen Wah, Yong Wai Chua, Chan Zi Cheng, and Jaydi Requiron Teh faced similar charges at a different premises at about 2:24 pm on the same date. They were charged under Section 120B(2), read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to six months or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Magistrate Nurul Saqinah also ordered the accused to serve six months in jail if they failed to pay the fine and for all exhibits to be handed over to the prosecution. Earlier, deputy public prosecutor P. Rubini requested the court to impose the maximum fine on all the accused to serve as a lesson. Lawyer Erickka Farrise, representing all the accused, appealed for the minimum fine, arguing that this was their first offence and that the 12-day remand period had served as a lesson.