An unemployed man was fined RM3,000 in lieu of two months jail for deceiving a man into parting with RM20,000 to invest in a non-existent gold investment scheme.

Magistrate Wong Chai Sia sentenced Mohd Adi Hasarli Ariffin, 35, after he pleaded guilty to deceiving Abd Aziz Abdullah that induced him to give him RM20,000 as investment money.

He is accused of committing the offence at a cafe in Sentul in November 2015 and charged under section 417 of the Penal Code which carries a penalty of up to five years imprisonment, and or a fine, or both upon conviction.

Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Ahmad Hakimi Wan Ahmad Jaafar urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to the accused.

Mohd Adi, however, pleaded to be spared a heavy sentence as he had to provide for his family, including a wife who is expecting their second child. - BERNAMA