A local woman was fined BND2,700 yesterday, after she pleaded guilty to disseminating a false statement likely to cause alarm. Hajah Faizah binti Haji Abdul Gapar would have to serve three-weeks’ jail in default of fine.
In August 31, 2021, the defendant was responsible for a viral video falsely claiming that employees at a restaurant had violated the COVID-19 quarantine order and went to work while having a red code on the BruHealth app.
Chief Magistrate Pengiran Hajah Norismayanti binti Pengiran Haji Ismail ordered the fine after the court found that there was no malice in disseminating the false information.
Hajah Faizah had initially denied the charge and claimed trial, before pleading guilty to the offence on Monday.
The prosecution said that in August 31, 2021, the defendant had made a video recording with a caption falsely claiming that four employees at a restaurant were discovered by police officers to have violated quarantine orders.
The restaurant manager filed a police report on the day, as the video had quickly gone viral. Police then traced the video to the defendant. Subsequent investigations showed that the defendant had received a message from her aunt, conveying the false statement and telling the defendant to report it.
The defendant then went to the restaurant and took photos of police officers who were there on an inspection and sent the photos to her aunt along with the false statements.
The defendant also admitted she had sent the video with captions to a neighbour, fearing for their safety as they had frequented the restaurant. – Fadley Faisal
