A software engineer was fined RM4,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here today for posting his ex-girlfriend’s half-naked photo on Instagram.

Magistrate S. Mageswary sentenced the accused, Ahmad Firdaus Mohd Suki, 35, after he pleaded guilty to the charge. The court also ordered him to serve four months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.

According to the charge sheet, Ahmad Firdaus was charged with posting a half-naked photo of his ex-girlfriend through a fake Instagram account using the victim’s name at an apartment in Bandar Baru Sentul, here at 1 am on Aug 6.

He was charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum five years imprisonment, or a fine or both, upon conviction.

Earlier, lawyer Muhammad Rhastdan Abdul Wahab, representing Ahmad Firdaus, appealed for leniency as this was his client’s first offence, adding that his guilty plea had saved the court’s time.

“The accused is only earning RM2,500 a month and looking after his elderly parents,” he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Hanis Anisha Jamilludin asked the court to impose a deterrent sentence as the accused’s action had humiliated the victim.

It is understood that at the time of the incident, there was a misunderstanding between the accused and the victim over the phone resulting in the victim wanting to end the relationship.

The accused then threatened to post the victim's half-naked photo on Instagram, causing the victim to lodge a police report on the matter.

-- BERNAMA