Vietnamese Fishermen Plead Not Guilty To Intrusion
By Rol Ezam

Bandar Seri Begawan - Eight Vietnamese men pleaded not guilty to all the charges they faced. They will again appear in the court on July 24 until August 2 for trial.

They are denying the first charge of entering Brunei without possession of a valid pass.

The eight Vietnamese, Nguyen Phung, 16-year-old Troung Van Men, Trinh Bong, Huynh La, Tran Minh Tien, Nguyen Dung, and Nguyen Hoa, also denied the second charge of catching fish in Brunei territorial waters without a valid licence.

The vessel's master, Nguyen Phung, 25, who was charged separately for being the master of the unregistered vessel to fish within Brunei area, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following their pleas, the prosecution will produce ten witnesses while Mr Yusof Halim from Cheok Sankaran and Halim, the counsel, will produce his clients as witnesses. Pg Isa Pg Hj Aliuddin is standing in for the public prosecutor.

In a hearing last week, the vessel's master and the 16-year-old boy was granted by presiding Magistrate Lailatul Zubaidah to be released on court bail of $5,000 or two local sureties each following an application by the counsel but failed to find any sureties.

The counsel said the Vietnamese Embassy had agreed to take care and house both of them while they were released.

But yesterday, Pg Isa said they still failed to pay the cash amount or to find sureties. They are still remanded at the Jerudong Prison with their accomplices.

The charge also mentioned that they were in Brunei territorial waters at Latitude 06 degree 51.50N, Longitude 113 degree 06.67E. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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