By Nour Maghfirah –
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, SEPT 12 – The High Court on September 11 canceled the release of a 55-year-old permanent resident of Brunei, Chin Chee Vun following an appeal by the public prosecutor.
Chin, who was previously acquitted of corruption charges, was found guilty and convicted under Section 6(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chapter 131, read with Section 13 of the same code.
The judgment handed down by Judicial Commissioner Haji Abdullah Soefri bin POKSM DSP Haji Abidin decided that the findings of the senior magistrate in the preliminary hearing were contrary to the available evidence. Chin, the General Manager of Sivli Logistics Sdn Bhd at the time, was convicted of inciting his subordinates to bribe a female customs inspector at the Royal Customs and Excise Department, Ministry of Finance and Economy, in October 2021. The bribe was intended as an inducement to influence the officer to ignoring violations related to customs declaration.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hajah Rozaimah binti Haji Abdul Rahman argued that the senior magistrate had made a mistake in terms of law and fact by misinterpreting the elements of the charge and failing to weigh the prosecution’s evidence sufficiently. He pointed out that the underling had already pleaded guilty in July 2022 to bribery charges of giving $20 to customs officers at the Customs Control Post at Muara Port. The underling was sentenced to eight months in prison, reduced from a starting point of 12 months, for his involvement.
The High Court emphasized the credibility of the prosecution’s case, stating that Chin’s defense of open denial lacked merit when compared to the evidence presented. Sentencing for Chin has been reserved for a future date. Chin faces a possible $30,000 fine and up to seven years in prison.
