Dropped Charge Is Under Penal Code
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - The charge which has been discontinued in the Brunei High Court during the ongoing case against former Development Minister Pengiran Dr Hj Ismail is one under Section 165 of the Penal Code and not the corruption charge, it has been clarified.

It comes under the section which states that it is an offence for a civil servant to accept a thing of value without consideration. In this instance, the ex-minister is alleged to have accepted $150,000 deposit for buying a land in Kg Katok, Gadong, which constituted a valuable thing.

This charge is among the several Penal Code charges under Section 165 levelled against the former minister. It is the seventh charge on the list.

Senior Counsel Andrew Macrae on behalf of Attorney General entered a nolle prosequi on that charge saying that it was in the interest of time and expense that the charge is dropped.

Wong Tim Kai, who owned Ted Sdn Bhd, a leading civil and building contractor responsible for a number of large government projects, also faces charges as an accomplice.

Apart from Section 165 the minister also faces an additional 10 charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Both are pleading not guilty to all the charges.

The court is proceeding with the other charges against the two before Chief Justice Dato Mohd Saied who will resume hearings on May 7.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Attorney General is Senior Counsel Andrew Macrae from Hong Kong with the assistance of DPP Aldillah Mohd Salleh and Ms Maggie Wong.

Defending the ex-minister are Christopher Fernando and Ahmad Basuni Abas while Wong has Balwant Singh Sidhu and Rudi Lee as legal counsels. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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