Bandar Seri Begawan - Two cases of using forged driver's licences were brought before the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The two defendants pleaded guilty to committing the offence and will be sentenced on January 5, 2013.

Omar Ali bin Hassan, 33, and 38-year-old Rosmi bin Junadie have admitted before Senior Magistrate Pg Masni Pg Hj Bahar that they have dishonestly used forged driver's licences as genuine.

These cases were exposed when police received memos from JPA raising suspicions that a number of copies of driving licences had been forged, and police investigations followed.

The police worked together with the Land Transport Department in the investigations which revealed, amongst others that were caught, the two defendants' driving licences bearing serial numbers of driving licences which have been issued to other persons.

Records of the two defendants' details were not found in the Land Transport Department's system as well.

When the defendants were brought in for enquiries, both admitted to committing the offence while their licences were sent for examination to the Department of Scientific Services, where results showed that the defendant's licences were forged as the "Latent National Crest" was absent on both copies and did not originate from the official stamp of the Land Transport Department.

Omar Ali stated that he paid B$350 to a person named Sarina for the issuance of the forged driver's licence, purportedly valid from July 21, 2005 to July 20, 2006.

Rosmi also stated that he paid $500 to a person named Sarina for the issuance of the forged driver's licence purportedly valid from August 20, 2002 to August 19, 2003.

Just before the expiry of Rosmi's forged licence, Sarina handed over a renewed copy purportedly valid from August 20, 2003 to August 19, 2004.

These cases were exposed sometime in 2006.

Prosecuting Officer Yvonne Lim appeared on behalf of the Public Prosecutor for these cases.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin