BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE charge against an Indonesian national, accused of brandishing a machete at the Bismi parking lot in Gadong, was withdrawn yesterday as he has been deemed of unsound mind at the time of the offence, following a medical report.

Salim, 38, was first charged at the Magistrates’ Court on August 4 and accused of carrying an offensive weapon in a public place in the vicinity of Bismi parking lot in Gadong during the morning of August 2, an offence under section 29 of the Public Order Act, Chapter 148. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

No plea was recorded and the prosecution applied for him to undergo a mental health assessment at the Mental Health Unit (MHU) at RIPAS Hospital.

Following the report from MHU on the defendant’s mental health, it was disclosed that the defendant was of unsound mind at the time of committing the offence, and is suffering from schizophrenia.

In light of this, deputy public prosecutor Dk Hazirah Pg Yusof applied for the charge against him to be withdrawn amounting to an acquittal under section 186 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Chapter 7.

The defendant is currently under the care and control of the Royal Brunei Police Force and the Indonesian Embassy pending his deportation from Brunei Darussalam.

The Brunei Times