Major court cases in 2015

Syazwan Sadikin
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

CORRUPTION cases made the headlines throughout 2015, which also saw a man convicted of sexual grooming for the first time in Brunei.

Corruption

A former law enforcer, Khairur Rijal Hj Abd Salim, was charged with corruption for allegedly accepting a car from a Malaysian contractor at the Magistrates’ Court in March.

Khairur Rijal, who was head at the Special Investigation Unit, was accused of accepting a Toyota Hilux, from Malaysian national Liew Say Koo, managing director of Say Koo (Liew) Sdn Bhd and L&E Contractor in 2012.

The bribe was a reward for assisting Liew to repeatedly enter and exit Brunei between 2011 and 2013. Liew was prohibited from entering Brunei as he was convicted of causing the death of his wife.

However, the 38-year-old former head of Special Investigation Unit was issued a detention order under the Internal Security Act in April after he was found to have abused his power and conspired with criminals.

Under the Internal Security Act, the government can detain suspects without trial.

The case also prompted His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, to criticise the Royal Brunei Police Force for corrupt practices.

In another corruption trial that lasted for more than three years, the former surveyor-general was found guilty and ordered to be locked behind bars for four years.

Hj Mohammed Jamil Hj Mohammed Ali was found guilty of four counts of corruptly accepting $7,155.31 in bribes, to vary tender specifications for a government spatial mapping project.

The former surveyor-general had accepted six return plane tickets, bill payments for car servicing, mobile phone chargers and broadband Internet from Puah Heng Yew of Selective Powertech Consulting.

Hj Mohammed Jamil was also found guilty of all 16 charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which forbids public servants from obtaining “valuable things” in the line of duty.

Puah was found guilty of bribing the surveyor-general as an inducement or reward to vary tender specifications for a e-government project.

The court further found Puah guilty of abetting the commission of offences that were committed by the surveyor-general.The Intermediate Court also sentenced Puah to four years in jail.

Meanwhile, eight current and former employees of Brunei Shell Petroleum were each charged with corruptly accepting bribes for the delivery of goods.

In total, more than $800,000 was allegedly accepted by Awang Salehen, Muhammad Azam Zaki, Aidah Tengah, Hjh Latifah Junaidi, Hjh Asnah Hj Salran, Rosli Simon, Sabeli Ismail and Mohd Faisal Hj Ismail.

All of the defendants claimed trial over the multiple corruption charges after they pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is expected to continue next year.

Death penalty

The High Court earlier this year sentenced a Filipino man to death by hanging after the 31-year old was found guilty of murder.

In 2013, Cyrille Navarro Tagapan, 31, was charged with the murder of Abdullah Hj Hamid on August 1, 2012.

The High Court heard that Tagapan had used a knife with considerable force to inflict three deep cuts on Abdullah’s neck.

Sex offender

A 28-year-old man became the first person in Brunei to be charged with sexual grooming since new laws targeting sexual predators were introduced in 2012.

Mohammad Shahdon Mohammad Ramlee pleaded guilty to the charge and 17 counts of sex offences involving two underaged boys.

He had admitted to two counts of sexually grooming the boys, 15-year-old A and 14-year-old B, when he met them at separate occasions to commit sexual offences.

The defendant further pleaded guilty to three counts of outraging the modesty of the boys; six counts of recording obscene videos and taking obscene photos of A; and distributing pornographic videos and photos of the victim within a chat group comprising schoolchildren and friends of A.

Shahdon also pleaded guilty to two counts of sodomy and lodging a false report to the Women and Children Abuse Investigation Unit, which was investigating the case.

He had admitted to three counts of being involved in sexual activities in the presence of A and B.

Shahdon is currently serving a nine-year imprisonment term and six strokes of the cane.

‘Unnatural deaths’

Two cases of “unnatural deaths” were reported when the defendants were in custody. Both defendants were facing the death penalty.

Remia Hj Abd Raub, 32, was charged with committing mischief by fire or explosive substance with the intent to cause damage when he set a mattress on fire by using a lighter at the house, knowing that it will cause damage to the property and, in doing so, caused the death of a two-year-old girl.

However, the prosecution withdrew the charge after the suspect had died while in police custody when investigations were being conducted.

In another case, a suspect died in custody after he was accused of murder. Police had confirmed on May 26 that Muhammad Hakimi Rizal Abdullah @ Eyan Anak Beritin, was found dead in his cell. He was 33 years old.

Muhammad Hakimi was charged with the murder of 43-year-old Ispawi Idris at a house in Belait’s Pandan 7 National Housing Scheme on May 20, together with co-accused Muhammad Zulkifli Abdul Jalil, 27.

What lies ahead

Muhammad Zulkifli’s murder charge is set for a preliminary inquiry on March 21, 2016.

The High Court and Magistrates’ Court recently set the trial against eight current and former employees at BSP some time next year.

Meanwhile, the eight Malaysians and two Indonesians charged with unlawful gathering on August 29 are expected to start their trial in April 2016.

A 50-year-old man will also be back in court in January to face two charges of raping his 17-year-old daughter in Tutong.


Sumber - The Brunei Times