No Salary, So Stole Shoes, Court Told
By Rol Ezam

Bandar Seri Begawan - Two Indonesian labourers who stole three pairs of branded shoes from a garage in Kuala Belait three days ago were sentenced to a month's jail each in the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Abdul Kadir Muhammad, 34, and Sabar Wismo Sukarjo, 31, pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Hj Abdullah Soefri DSP Hj Abidin. He told the court they committed the offence because their employer did not pay their wages.

In mitigation, Abdul Kadir said he still owed five billion rupiah, equivalent to B$1,000 in debt, in his hometown. He said his employer let him to work for someone else because there were no projects.

Abdul Kadir said his employer, mentioned in court as Jamil bin Hanafiah, never paid his salary. Instead, he had to pay his boss money.

Meanwhile, Sabar Wismo, who also worked at the same company with Abdul Kadir mentioned the same reason as to why he committed the offence.

Before passing sentence, Magistrate Abdullah, took into consideration what they had told the court, but said the offence they had committed was very serious.

Magistrate Abdullah's said the court did not want any person who cane to Brunei especially those who work here, not being paid any salary by the employer. He warned employers from doing this sort of offence.

Yesterday the Police Prosecutor Inspector Hayati Tassim said the offence occurred when Abdul Kadir went into the garage of house no. Lot 5544 at Jalan Pandan Lima through the unlocked gate. Sabar Wismo kept watch.

After Abdul Kadir took two pairs of Clarks shoes and one pair of Blue Harbour shoes worth $400 belonging to Marion Geraldino Erazo. He placed it in the garbage outside the house.

Both came back to retrieve the shoes an hour later.

The next day, three members of the Kuala Belait Special Branch Unit went for their night rounds and found both of them at Jalan Pandan 5 acting in a suspicious manner. The police caught them At Jalan Jaya Negara and brought them to the station.

Upon questioning, both admitted taking the shoes for their use. Records revealed they were first offenders. (Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin)

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