BY Fadley Faisal

A Bangladeshi man, who was found guilty of outraging the modesty of a woman, was on Thursday sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane.

Mohammad Photu, 34, initially denied prosecutor Atiyyah Abas’ charge stating that he had molested the 21-year-old victim at her house in the Brunei-Muara District at 11am on June 19, 2021.

Chief Magistrate Pengiran Hajah Norismayanti binti Pengiran Haji Ismail found that the prosecution had proven its case beyond the court’s reasonable doubt.

The prosecution’s evidence during trial established that as the victim attempted to close the front door to the house, the defendant came up to her to announce that he was going to clean the compound.

After securing an extension wire to power a jet washer, he started working. Sometime later, the defendant entered the house uninvited. He told the victim the jet washer had overheated and that he was done for the day.

The defendant insisted on returning the extension wire to the victim, even after being instructed to “just leave it on the floor”.

During the hand over, the defendant molested the victim, who quickly moved away. The defendant then dropped the extension wire and left the house.

The victim told her mother about the incident and a police report was lodged, eventuating in the defendant’s arrest.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin