BY Fadley Faisal
The Magistrate’s Court on October 3 ordered a group of men and women to settle fines or face jail in default of payment, after they pleaded guilty to charges under the Common Gaming Houses Act.
Local Chong Wai Meng, 53, was ordered to settle a BND7,000 fine, or serve seven months’ jail, for letting a house at Jalan Sungai Pandan, Kuala Belait to be used for gambling activities at 10.26pm on March 24.
Acting Senior Magistrate Dewi Norlelawati binti Haji Abdul Hamid also ordered 59-year-old local Teo Liang Heng to settle a fine of BND6,000, or serve six months’ jail, for gambling at the house.
Local Mohd Afddy Sukhri bin Abdullah, 57, has to settle a BND5,000 fine, or serve five month’s jail, for letting his property be used for gambling activities.
Permanent residents Lau Then Min, 58; Hwang Huat Sing, 63; and Wee Kian Lai, 68, were each ordered to settle a BND3,500 fine, or serve three months’ jail for gambling at the house.
Permanent resident Yau Koi Khin, 63; local Sim Kwang Mee, 65; permanent resident Chey May Fun, 54; permanent resident Wong Nyuk Yin, 65; local Leong Theng Yong, 57; permanent resident Wun Chang Whun, 56; and permanent resident Chin Ba Sheng, 62, were each ordered to settle BND3,000, or serve three months’ jail for gambling at the house.
Permanent residents Wong Sui Lian, 56; and Chong Ji Juinn, 41, were each ordered to settle a BND1,000 fine or serve a month’s jail for gambling at the house.
Local Khadijah binti Abdullah @ Lau Chong Yin, 60; and permanent resident Liew Ze Shyan, 38, were each ordered to settle a BND800 fine or serve three weeks’ jail for unlawful assembly and playing games at the house.
Prosecutor Nurul Husna Aqilah binti Haji Abidin revealed in court that the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) raided the house at 10.26pm on March 24 after receiving a public tip-off. It led to the arrests and unearthing the pai kow gambling session.
The police also seized gambling items and cash amounting to just below BND30,000 and SGD41.
-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin