(Bandar Seri Begawan, 9th) Three local men admitted to stealing government property from the SHOAS Bridge and were each sentenced to eight months in prison.
57-year-old Idrus, 61-year-old Zaini, and 31-year-old Hafiz admitted to stealing 10 copper tin-plated strips, each approximately 5.85 meters long, in the early hours of March 26.
The defendants were charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code (read in conjunction with Section 34) for joint theft.
The court was informed that a report from the Brunei Bridge Authority triggered a police investigation after CCTV footage captured the defendants' vehicle repeatedly stopping at the 16.6 km mark of the bridge. Police later found the abandoned vehicle in Bukit Udal, Tutong District, with the stolen items valued at slightly over BND 4,000 inside.
The suspects had acted in concert, attempting to remove the tape from the bridge's electrical box. They tried to escape into a nearby forested area to avoid arrest but were apprehended on April 3.
The defendant Zaini has a criminal record, while the other two do not. All three began serving their sentences from the date of remand.
57-year-old Idrus, 61-year-old Zaini, and 31-year-old Hafiz admitted to stealing 10 copper tin-plated strips, each approximately 5.85 meters long, in the early hours of March 26.
The defendants were charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code (read in conjunction with Section 34) for joint theft.
The court was informed that a report from the Brunei Bridge Authority triggered a police investigation after CCTV footage captured the defendants' vehicle repeatedly stopping at the 16.6 km mark of the bridge. Police later found the abandoned vehicle in Bukit Udal, Tutong District, with the stolen items valued at slightly over BND 4,000 inside.
The suspects had acted in concert, attempting to remove the tape from the bridge's electrical box. They tried to escape into a nearby forested area to avoid arrest but were apprehended on April 3.
The defendant Zaini has a criminal record, while the other two do not. All three began serving their sentences from the date of remand.