Fadley Faisal

A housekeeping staff of a hotel was sentenced to a month’s jail by the Magistrate’s Court yesterday after he pleaded guilty to stealing money from a guest.

Magistrate Pengiran Hazirah binti Pengiran Hajii Mohd Yusof said the defendant had abused his position by committing the offence while carrying out his duties and that “it was an opportunistic crime, it is fortunate that the money was recovered.”

DPP Ahmad Firdaus Mohammad’s facts of the case stated that Muhammad Hafizzan bin Zakaria, 27, rang the bell twice to a guest’s room on the morning of January 28, 2020.

The defendant and his colleague entered the room on seeing there was no reply. They carried out their duties when the defendant came across a handbag on a table in the room. He looked inside and took RMB1,000 Yuan.

He kept it in his pocket until he and his colleague were done tidying up the room and left.

The Chinese national guest came back to the room after having breakfast and realised the money missing from the handbag.

The hotel management was informed, leading to a police report being lodged and the eventual arrest of the defendant.

It was learnt that the defendant had converted the money into just under BND200 before his arrest.