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Officer Receives 36 Month Jail For Abuse Of Position
December 14th, 2016 | 09:32 AM | 4256 views
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
A Special Duties Officer at the Estate Management Unit of the Office of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment yesterday. He was convicted of abusing his official position.
Haji Othman bin Judin, 59, was found guilty by Chief Magistrate Muhammed Faisal bin Pehin Dato Kefli on 10 charges of accepting valuable items, without giving adequate consideration to his official duties.
The evidence produced by Deputy Public Prosecutors Aldila Salleh and Christopher Ng proved the case to be beyond the court's reasonable doubt.
The court found that Haji Othman has been accepting supply of planting `Zoysia Materella' grass totalling $1,275 from KN Nursery Sdn. Bhd. This was part of the landscaping work carried out at his residence in Kampong Perpindahan Lambak Kanan between June 2009 and December 23, 2012.
Between June 2009 and December 26, 2012 the defendant had accepted 19 sets of 23W CFL Bollard lights totalling $3,800 from Ting Sii King Electrical Supplies Sdn Bhd (TSK Sdn Bhd) .
The defendant also accepted the supply and installation of underground cables, 19 concrete foundations and the installation of 19 23W CFL Bollard lights totalling $1,570 from Everwide Darussalam Sdn Bhd between June 2009 and April 8, 2013.
Furthermore, the defendant was also found guilty of accepting architectural and structure plans for the renovation of his residence totalling $12,000 from Booty Edwards and Partners between June 2012 and March 2013.
The defendant then obtained various bulbs and fixtures for his son's residence totalling to $2,507 from Ting Sii King Electrical Supplies Sdn Bhd (TSK Sdn Bhd) between February 2010 and March 2013.
All of the goods and services were duly paid by the defendant, but the court noted that he was prompted to settle the bills only after investigations into the case were launched.
The court found the Anti-Corruption Bureau's subsequent investigation and trial 'exhaustive', and had no doubt that the companies showed interest in the defendant's official position, although there were no direct dealings between them.
Chief Magistrate Muhammed Faisal agreed with the plea in mitigation by the defendant's lawyer, Kamal bin Shaari, that Haji Othman had contributed 40 years of exemplary service.
the Chief Magistrate said "He (the defendant) may have lost sight of what is morally correct, and fell afoul of the offences," on reviewing the defendant's excellent work record.
"The defendant was placed in the innermost position of the government and the palace, and had abused it," said Chief Magistrate further, in his deliberations.
The court also determined that there were no exceptional circumstances for the defendant's ill health, as submitted by his lawyer for a non-custodial sentence to be imposed.
Kamal also applied for a stay of execution on behalf of his client, but this was rejected by the court.
Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM
by BruDirect.com
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