Three Malaysian nationals were brought before the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate's Court for 45 counts of offences under Section 420 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, Chapter 22 for conspiring to cheat Hyatt Borneo Management Services, HBMS, a service provider company based at Istana Nurul Iman.
Investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, ACB, showed that Perusahaan Ala Haji Bolhassan, a long-time flour supplier to HBMS had supplied expired 'DAWN' brand baking flours to HBMS. The Dawn baking flour was alleged to have been a surplus from orders made by Perusahaan Ala Haji Bolhassan during the COVID-19 pandemic and the flour stock remained unsold until it reached the expiry dates. After the pandemic ended and once restriction on holding big events was lifted, the said company continued to sell the expired flour including to HBMS.
ACB conducted an operation in June 2022, which led to the arrest of Sam Ying Kok, the General Manager of Perusahaan Ala Haji Bolhassan; Iskak bin Rahmat, the Pastry Chef of HBMS, and Abdul Sani bin Abdul Mutalib, the Materials Manager of HBMS. ACB investigations showed that Sam Ying Kok, aged 51, had engaged in a conspiracy with Iskak bin Rahmat, aged 56, and Abdul Sani bin Abdul Mutalib, aged 56, to cheat HBMS into believing that the Dawn Baking Flours supplied and delivered by Perusahaan Ala Haji Bolhassan between 1st February 2021 until 1st March 2022 are not expired. By such manner of deception, HBMS was dishonestly induced to order and subsequently made payments totalling $25,780.
No plea was recorded from all three defendants and the Honorable Senior Magistrate Hajah Ervy Sufitriana binti Haji Abdul Rahman set 13th of April 2023 for further mention of the case. The prosecution of the case is conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Dayangku Didi Nuraza binti Pengiran Latif and defence counsel Ang Swee Kiang represented Sam Ying Kok and Iskak bin Rahmat, while Abd Sani bin Abd Mutalib appeared in court unrepresented.
Source: Radio Television Brunei