Baiduri ATM fraudsters plead guilty
By Malai FadleyRizal 

Two thieving computer wits allegedly responsible for Baiduri Bank ATM fraud, changed their plea of not guilty to guilty yesterday at the Magistrates' Court. Their next hearing will take place on May 1, 2003.

Er Boon Hua and Loo Kim Meng, both Malaysians and in their mid-20's, pleaded guilty to eight charges of committing theft of money amounting to $11,800 from Baiduri's ATM machines at Shakirin Complex in Kiulap and Gadong Centrepoint during broad daylight, October 5 last year.

Both Er and Loo were identified through video recordings from closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) at both of the crime scenes during different times of the said date.

They were recorded to have used a number of gold-coloured bankcards to withdraw the money.

Earlier, the CCTVs recorded them monitoring together with some others (who are still at large) around the Baiduri ATM at Centrepoint, Gadong some two weeks before October 5.

The prosecution, which was carried out by DPP Hj Nabil Daraina Pehin Dato Hj Awang Badaruddin, informed that the defendants had also admitted to the facts where the Sungai Tujoh Police seized cash amounting to $21,500 from them.

'Ah Seng', an accomplice, is still at large, the court was told.

Meanwhile, on October 7 last year, Police had conducted a roadblock in front of the Sungai Tujoh Police Post and stopped a silver-coloured E200 Mercedes Benz bearing a Malaysian licence plate number after they received information from the BSB Central Police Station.

The penalty for this offence carries a fine and/or imprisonment, which may extend to 3 years.

Courtesy of Sunday Bulletin