Imam Freed In $500,000 Bogus Money Case
By Rol Ezam

Bandar Seri Begawan – In a dramatic move Chief Justice Mohammed Saied discharged two men, who faced charges linking to trafficking of over half a million dollars worth of Brunei currency notes.

Their discharge does not amount to an acquittal the court ruled yesterday. It followed an application made by the Deputy Public Prosecutor in the High Court.

Standing in on behalf of the Public Prosecutor, DPP Mr Yusree bin Hj Junaidi, who was assisted by Mr Shamshuddin Hj Kamaluddin, yesterday applied for the charges to be read to them again but none of their pleas were taken.

Soon after the charges were read, he entered a ‘nolle prosequi’ under Section 377 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

‘Nolle prosequi’ is a power that a Public Prosecutor has and it can only be made on his discretion. It puts an end to the prosecution case but it does not operate as a bar to future criminal proceedings.

The first suspect, Sofri Dahali, who was represented by Mr Hj Zul-Sukarla, was first discharged not amounting to an acquittal from a charge of trafficking in counterfeit currency notes totaling B$542,350 in the form of 775 pieces of $500 Brunei notes, 1,133 pieces of $100 Brunei notes and 831 pieces of $50 Brunei notes, which were believed to be counterfeit.

The Permanent Resident was also discharged not amounting to an acquittal from an alternative charge of possessing counterfeit currency notes in the same amount and in the same form, inside a car bearing registration number BT 920 in the vicinity of a filling station in Kampong Kapok and intending to use the same may be as genuine.

Meanwhile, the 53 year-old Imam Haji Sarbini bin Pehin Udana Khatib Hj Junit, represented by Mr Sheikh Noordin, was also discharged not amounting to an acquittal from a charge of abetting the commission of the offence of trafficking the currency notes by Sofri and committed in consequence of his abetment.

Haji Sarbini was caught in the Gadong area the same day.

Both were remanded for a week pending further investigation. Sofri was remanded at the Berakas Police Station while the Imam was remanded at the Muara Police Station. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Related Story: Imam Held In Massive Counterfeit Dollar Haul

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