TWO Malaysian men were fined $1,200 each by the Magistrate’s Court yesterday for trespassing on a safety zone at the offshore South West Ampa Oilfield in Belait.
Ahmad Sedik and his son Masaud Ahmad, plead guilty to contravening Regulation 4 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Zones) Order of 1998.
The maximum penalty for such an offence is $100,000.
Ahmad Sedik, who was employed as a fisherman at the time of the incident, pleaded with the court for leniency stating that he had 15 children, none of whom are working. “Only one of my children is schooling because I cannot pay the school fees for the rest. I was let go from my job as a fisherman due to my age,” he said.
Senior Registrar Radin Safiee Radin Mas Basiuni took pity on the duo, saying that “due to their humble background, any large fine would have a tremendous effect on their family”.
Police officers from the fisheries and marine departments were patrolling the waters surrounding the oilfield on May 2, 2009 when they spotted the defendants fishing in a small boat. Once the police approached the boat the defendants sped off inciting the police to pursue them.
After a short chase, the officers boarded the boat and brought the defendants to the Fisheries Department in Kuala Belait for further investigation. The boat and fishing apparatus was seized by the police.
The prosecution did not apply to forfeit the boat to the state since it belonged to Ahmad’s former employer. The court ordered the boat be returned to its rightful owner.
The defendants were given a one-month grace period to pay the fine; failure to do so may result in a default prison term of one month.
The Brunei Times
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