BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): A local man was sentenced to two years’ jail with two strokes of the cane recently after pleading guilty to stealing from a mosque donation box.
Intermediate Court Judge Pengiran Masni Pengiran Bahar said 31-year-old Abdul Azis @ Adi Abdul Latif’s case was aggravated by the fact that he had stolen donations from a place of worship and his lack of remorse.
Prosecutor Siti Mu’izzah Sabli said the defendant committed the offence one week after he was released from being imprisoned for a similar offence.
The defendant had gone to Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah at 5.30am to perform prayers on March 3, where he used a clothes hanger to attempt to fish money out of a donation box at the female prayer hall on the first floor.
He managed to pull several notes out of the box, but was confronted by the imam and security guards who had seen him commit the offence on CCTV.
They told the defendant to put the money back in, which he did while profusely apologising, before escaping.
He hid in the drains near the gates of the mosque, where he was discovered by guards after a brief search. He was subsequently arrested by the police.
