BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

A BRUNEIAN man was jailed for one month yesterday after he admitted to filing a false police report of an armed robbery at Kampung Parit, as a cover-up for misplacing funds belonging to a dart association.

Hj Mohd Hady Yusra Hj Mohd Yussof, 33, was arrested on September 13 after he was called up for further investigations following the initial report that he was robbed while on his way home from playing darts at Kg Wasan, Mukim Limau Manis.

The court document submitted by Prosecuting Officer Mohammad Danial DSP Hj Kifrawi stated that Hj Mohd Hady told the police two men armed with a machete and a knife had forced him out of his car after his path was blocked by a Daihatsu Charmant.

He further told the police the men took his belongings, which included his mobile phone, a wrist bracelet, a silver necklace, his wallet and an envelope containing $1,360. Later that day when the defendant was called to Sengkurong Police Station for further investigations, Hj Mohd Hady admitted that he had provided false information about the robbery. He added that he had in fact misplaced the funds totalling $1,360 entrusted to him by chairman of the Dart Committee of Kg Wasan.

Further investigations found that the defendant’s wallet, silver necklace and bracelet were found in the defendant’s car.

In his mitigation before the Magistrates’ Court yesterday, the unemployed Hj Mohd Hady told the court he had lost the money when he left it in his car while he went to a shop.

He further told the court he regretted his actions and promised not to repeat the offence.

Delivering his verdict yesterday, Senior Magistrate Hj Nabil Daraina PDH Badaruddin said a “short and sharp” custodial sentence was appropriate in the case as the defendant caused alarm to the public and wasted the police’s time and resources in investigating the case. Hj Mohd Hady was ordered to serve one month in jail with immediate effect. In light of Hj Mohd Hady’s incarceration, the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) yesterday retracted its previous press statement on the robbery that was published yesterday. It said providing false information is an offence punishable under section 177 of the Penal Code, Chapter 22, and are liable to be prosecuted before the court of law.

The Brunei Times