FWD: Restaurateur fined for keeping carcasses, skins

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This article is from thestar.com.my

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/8/6/courts/pdskin & sec=courts

 

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Tuesday, August 06, 2002

Restaurateur fined for keeping carcasses, skins

By PRISCILLA DIELENBERG

 

PENANG: A restaurateur who admitted having 672 skinned carcasses of civets and

bats, 114 processed snake skins and other animal skin products was fined RM6,000

by a magistrate & #8217;s court yesterday.

 

Tham Tuck Chow, 45, pleaded guilty to six charges of having the animal

carcasses and the items that are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act

1972 at a business premises in Jalan Datuk Kramat here at 1pm on July 14.

 

He was found with 287 skinned carcasses of civets, 385 skinned bat carcasses,

two live cobras, and python skin trophy products comprising 56 belts and 22

wallets, as well as 36 pieces of processed python skin.

 

 

 

Each offence is punishable under Section 68 of the Act with a fine of up to

RM3,000 or a jail term of up to three years or both.

 

Tham is also charged with having three young civets and two young monitor

lizards.

 

Each offence is punishable under Section 70 of the Act with a fine of up to

RM3,500 or a jail term of up to two years or both.

 

Prosecuting officer Mohamad Refaee Abdul Hamid from the state Wildlife and

National Parks Department, said seven enforcement officers recovered the skinned

animals from a refrigerator at Tham & #8217;s office, and the live animals within

the premises.

 

In pleading for leniency, counsel Low Meng Chua said Tham, a first offender,

had saved the court & #8217;s time and cost by pleading guilty at the first

available opportunity. He said he had repented and promised not to repeat such

offences.

 

& #8216; & #8216;He is in the restaurant business and has been issued a licence

from the department to carry out business in the meat of wild animals for the

past 18 years.

 

& #8216; & #8216;The licence stated that he had to take down the details of those

who sold him the items and check them out with the department. However, he

failed to do so at the time of incident as he had been receiving too many

supplies of the meat and animals,” said Low.

 

Magistrate Priscilla H.N. Rajan fined Tham RM1,000 in default two months & #8217;

jail for each of the six charges. She also ordered the exhibits to be handed

over to the department & #8217;s director.

 

Tham paid the fines.

 

<LI><b>Related story <BR><A

HREF= " http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/8/6/nation/cmwild & sec=nati\

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