Bandar Seri Begawan - Prosecutors produced a local man before the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate's Court to face 12 charges of abetting two foreigners who face cheating charges.

DPP Atiyyah PD Hj Abas applied for the case of Pengiran Haji Ismail bin Pg Hj Othman to be consolidated and mentioned with the case of two other foreigners.

The application was granted and fixed for mention on March 4, 2013 before Senior Magistrate Haji Nabil Daraina PD Ustaz Hj Badaruddin.

This order was made by the court to give time for the defendant to think of the charges and seek legal representation before Monday.

Allegations are that Pengiran Haji Ismail had abetted Abdul Barek Mohammed Senaj Uddin Ahmed and Zahid Sikder Mothar Sikder Bokul who cheated foreigners by falsely representing that they could make extensions on the victims' employment passes with payments of $50 for each extension.

The defendant allegedly abetted the foreigners by producing a photocopy of each victims' passports purportedly showing extensions on the victims' employment passes. These offences allegedly took place in October and November 2011, January, February, March, May and July 2012. The defendant was released on court bail of $5,000 or one local surety.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin