Five local men were charged in the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday with thefts involving telecommunication and electric cables in separate incidents. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Firdaus bin Haji Mohammad applied for their remand until January 22 to facilitate ongoing investigations.
The defendants are Muhammad Najidi Nasrullah bin Mohd Jidi, 30; Muhammad Noorazri Hibatullah bin Abdullah, 21; Muhammad Helmi bin Muhammad Asmial Safi, 24; Hillery Roy anak Taip, 29; and Mohd Nurazizan bin Putra, 30.
The first charge alleges that Muhammad Najidi, Muhammad Noorazri, Muhammad Helmi, and Hillery Roy stole telecommunication cables belonging to Unified National Networks (UNN) on January 13, at Jalan Sungai Duhon, Kuala Belait. The theft reportedly disrupted telecommunication services, a key public utility. The offence is punishable under Section 380B of the Penal Code, Chapter 22, which carries a penalty of three to ten years’ imprisonment and between four and twelve strokes of whipping.
The second charge accuses Muhammad Najidi, Muhammad Noorazri, Hillery Roy, and Mohd Nurazizan of stealing electric cables from a building under the custody of the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) at Lot 45 & 46, Industri Simpang 114, Jalan Setia Diraja, Kuala Belait, sometime in November 2024.
The defendants did not enter pleas, and the court granted the prosecution’s request for remand. The case is set for further mention on January 22. – Fadley Faisal