Fadley Faisal
A local man’s appeal against conviction and sentence was set aside by the High Court and his 18 months’ jail sentence took effect from yesterday.
Pengiran Masri Pengiran Haji Othman was an administrator at an institute who was found guilty after a trial in the Magistrate’s Court on five charges for outraging the modesty of three men and insulting the modesty of a woman.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail but was afforded a stay of execution pending appeal.
Defence counsel Rozaiman Abdul Rahman who represented Pengiran Masri at trial and in the appeal, contested the Magistrate’s findings leading to convictions.
DPP Nor Hafizah Ahmad on responding to the application said that the convictions were “safe” and that the sentence handed was “proper”.
Judicial Commissioner Haji Abdullah Soefri bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin found that the Magistrate had not “erred” in the process up until making her decision in convicting Pengiran Masri on the five charges while deciding that the sentence handed was in no way “excessive“.