By Nour Maghfirah
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, OCT 17 – A 47-year-old local man, Mohamad Sambari bin Haji Abu Bakar, was sentenced to eight years in prison yesterday on various charges of fraud and impersonation.
Magistrate Nur Eleana binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Hairol Arni handed down the sentence taking into account, among other things, no remorse, gravity of the offence, no restitution, impersonation as uniformed staff and a long criminal history.
Deputy Public Prosecutor, Nurul Atikah Husaini revealed that the defendant had repeatedly deceived several victims by impersonating a police officer and making false offers.
The investigation showed that on February 24, the defendant fraudulently claimed that eight vehicles were being auctioned by the Royal Brunei Police Force (PPDB). He convinced his first victim to pay a total of $1,995 for a vehicle that was never sold. Mohamad Sambari took the victim to various police stations to prove his false claims, promising a huge discount on the vehicle.
In March 2024, the defendant pretended to be a police enforcement assistant and forced the second victim to write a witness statement for a custody case. Mohamad Sambari also gave a false warning to the drug raid victim, causing him to hide and cheat again. The two victims were taken into hiding in Lawas and Miri, Malaysia, bearing additional costs for their safety.
Mohamad Sambari then tricked his victim by pretending to be a police officer and getting police uniforms and official accessories from a company. He falsely claimed to have been re-employed by PPDB and sought financial assistance from one of his victims to pay for the items.
Between January and last March, Mohamad Sambri falsely offered the auctioned government boat engine for $1,140 to one of his victims, knowing it was never sold. He also tricked his victim into paying $800 for non-existent vehicle repairs on a car, claiming it was his.
