Illegal Ties-Cutters Cet Cane, Jail Terms
By Malai FadleyRizal

Temburong - Two Indonesian men were each sentenced to one year and three months' jail and given five strokes of the cane for entering Brunei illegally and cutting trees in the country's reserved forest.

Pendi bin Bahtiar, 37, and Ady bin Rusty, 31, each faced separate charges of entering Brunei without in possession of a valid pass, a joint charge of having cut trees in the forest reserve and a joint charge of committing mischief by cutting the trees.

The court heard both defendants were arrested by Royal Brunei Armed Forces personnel at the BruneiMalaysian border in the Labi Forest Reserve in Ulu Belait after they found trees in the Brunei territory were felled on the morning of May 13.

DPP Suriana Radin told the court army personnel found a track used to carry the trees, which cuts across the border and encroaches into the Labi forest reserve.

The defendants were brought to the Panaga police station for investigations.

They said they had cut four trees down.

These trees were worth $732.83 in payable tax revenue. The defendants said they are employees of a Malaysian logging company.

They entered the country by foot to cut trees and transport them back using heavy machinery. They claimed not knowing they had crossed the Brunei border. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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