The Intermediate Court yesterday sentenced a Zakat officer to jail for 12 months following his guilty plea earlier last week to embezzlement of over $11,000 in Zakat Fitrah money.

Junaidi bin Haji Duraman, 49, was an officer at the Belait District Zakat Fitrah Collection and Distribution Unit Office, Department of Islamic Religious Council, Ministry of Religious Affairs.

DPP Rozaimah binti Abdul Rahman's facts of the case state that on November 6, 2010, an appointed Amil at Kampong Pandan Mosque submitted a Zakat payment list and $11,707.40 to the defendant.

From a total sum of Zakat Fitrah money collected, 1/6 of it should be paid to the appointed Amil who went to lodge
a complaint to the Zakat collection and distribution office after not receiving any payments up until July 5, 2011.

'Internal investigations revealed that the defendant had not deposited the Zakat Fitrah he received from the appointed Amil into the department's bank account

The defendant's superior officers questioned him about the missing money to which he initially claimed was stolen
from his unlocked vehicle while he went to use a toilet at a shop.

The defendant did not respond to questions concerning why he did not lodge a police report but instead asked for grace periods repeatedly to return the missing amount, which he failed to meet.

Judge Haji Nabil Daraina bin Pehin Dato Ustaz Haji Badaruddin presided over the case.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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