Fadley Faisal
Prosecutors yesterday charged a permanent resident (PR) for instigating his employee to bribe a customs officer.
Fifty-two-year-old Chin Chee Vun, manager of a forwarding agent company, allegedly instigated a Filipino employee, Argel Sanchez David, to offer a BND20 bribe to a customs officer to keep him from taking action against David for violating customs declaration process sometime between September and October 2021 at the Customs guardhouse and Muara Port Post Office.
Earlier, on October 7, 2021, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested David following a complaint from the Royal Customs and Excise Department (RCED) in relation to the false declaration of goods.
David was dealt with in court.
Yesterday’s virtual proceeding with Chin at the ACB premises, Senior Magistrate Pengiran Hazirah binti Pengiran Haji Mohd Yusof did not record any plea, released the defendant on bail and adjourned the case to February 9.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hajah Rozaimah binti Haji Abdul Rahman represented the public prosecutor in the case.
The ACB reminded the public that offering bribes to enforcement officers is a serious offence carrying a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment and a BND30,000 fine.
