Bandar Seri Begawan - The Magistrate's Court will hand down its verdict on Monday on whether a policeman is guilty of breaking into a Crime Investigation Department (CID) office in Kuala Belait and stealing 25 wallets containing $23,400.

L/Corporal Abd Razak Abd Rahim, 29, faces a charge of breaking-and-entering, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years' imprisonment and caning.

He also faces an "alternative" charge that carries a penalty of up to seven years in jail and a fine, to which he pleaded guilty.

According to the prosecution, Abd Razak on May 18 broke into a CID evidence storeroom and stole 25 wallets containing $23,400.

The wallets were seized in a gambling raid in which Abd Razak was the assistant investigating officer in the case.

The statement of facts accepted by the court said that Abd Razak had broken into the Deputy Station Officer's (DSO) office and used a machete to pry open the metal cabinet containing the wallets.

The defendant then fled the scene and went to a nearby river, where he disposed of a brown envelope containing the now-empty wallets as well as the bag and tools he used to enter the building.

The next day, upon discovering that the DSO office had been broken into and the evidence was missing, a police report was lodged and an investigation of police personnel ensued.

Abd Razak was one of the personnel questioned, but he denied any involvement in the break-in. The defendant was arrested December 10 and confessed to the crime.

Abd Razak yesterday told the court he used the money to pay off debts. He also bought a mobile phone, desktop computer, DVD player, SIM card, satellite TV set, cuddly toys, T-shirts, bedding items and a secondhand car. These items have been returned to the relevant authorities.

Abd Razak pleaded to the court for clemency as he has a family of two to support and he promised not to repeat the offence. He added that he is diabetic, which requires him to take medicine regularly.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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