Three local men were sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment each on April 8 after pleading guilty to stealing government property from the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien (SHOAS) Bridge.
Muhamad Idrus bin Haji Abd Rahman, 57, Zaini bin Tunggal, 61, and Abdul Hafiz ‘Iylia bin Zaini, 31, admitted to stealing 10 copper-tinned tapes, each measuring approximately 5.85 metres, in the early hours of March 26.
The defendants were charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34, for theft committed in furtherance of a common intention.
Prosecutor Jordan Tiah revealed it was a Brunei Bridge Authority report that triggered a police investigation after CCTV footage captured the defendants’ vehicle making repeated stops at KM16.6 of the bridge. Police later found the vehicle abandoned in Bukit Udal, Tutong, containing the stolen materials valued at just over BND4,000.
The men had coordinated their movements to remove the tapes from the electrical compartments on the bridge. They attempted to evade capture by fleeing into nearby forest areas but were arrested on April 3.
Zaini has prior convictions, while the other two had clean records. All three began serving their sentences from the date of remand.
The case was heard before Magistrate Syaffina Shahif. – Fadley Faisal
