A former court clerk who abused her position to cheat probate applicants out of more than BND8,000 was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment by the Magistrate’s Court on December 14, 2024.
Rasiah binti Haji Salim, employed at the Probate Registry of the Supreme Court from 1982 until her suspension in 2018, pleaded guilty to 21 charges of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Pengiran Hajah Nor ‘Azmeena binti Pengiran Haji Mohiddin and Prosecutor Jordan Tiah, between 2010 and 2018, Rasiah deceived members of the public seeking probate and administration services by claiming they needed to make additional applications and that she was authorised to collect the associated payments.
Instead of directing them to the court cashier, she pocketed the funds and issued falsified notice slips bearing fake receipt numbers.
The total amount defrauded over the eight-year period amounted to BND8,436.
The court highlighted several aggravating factors including abuse of a position of trust, the prolonged nature of the offending, and the erosion of public confidence in the judicial system.
Magistrate Nur Eleana binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Hairol Arni noted that Rasiah had shown limited remorse, offering an unsubstantiated claim that she had partially repaid one victim, and explained her actions were motivated by financial need and a lack of workplace supervision – an excuse the court rejected.
“The offences were committed within the courthouse environment, where public trust in government institutions is paramount. A deterrent sentence is necessary to protect that trust,” the magistrate said.
Taking into account her early guilty plea, Rasiah was granted a one-third reduction on her sentence. The court differentiated the sentences according to the amount cheated in each charge, with sentences ranging from 12 to 16 months per charge.
Applying the totality principle, the court ordered a total custodial sentence of 54 months. – Fadley Faisal
