Accused: SB men knew of intrusion
(The Star) – A Special Branch corporal accused of withholding information about the Sulu gunmen intrusion in Lahad Datu told the High Court here that senior Sabah police officers were aware of the matter long before it happened on Feb 12.
Kpl Hassan Basari told the court that among those who knew about the impending intrusion was Sabah Special Branch deputy chief Senior Asst Comm Zulkifli Abd Aziz.
SAC Zulkifli had the initial information about the possible Sulu gunmen intrusion and their claims well before the incident occurred at Kampung Tanduo, he said when reading an unsworn statement in court.
Kpl Hassan took nearly an hour to read the 18-page statement before Justice Ravinthran Paramaguru who had ordered him to enter his defence on July 17.
Kpl Hassan, 58, is charged under Section 130M of the Penal Code with withholding information about the intrusion and is alleged to have committed the offence at the Lahad Datu Special Branch office between January and March 3.
In his statement, Kpl Hassan said SAC Zulkifli had testified in the court that he (SAC Zulkifli) had met the brother of self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamallul Kiram, Esmail Kiram, in Kota Kinabalu in December last year.
SAC Zulkifli never alerted the Lahad Datu Special Branch about the Sulu sultanate claims and the threat on Sabah, he said.
Kpl Hassan said he constantly verbally relayed information he had about the Sulu sultanate and the intrusion at the village to his Special Branch colleagues and superiors in Lahad Datu.
“Between Feb 19 and March 2, we met daily to share information we had from our intelligence gathering activities in Lahad Datu town,” he said.
“The Lahad Datu Special Branch chief Asst Supt Noraidin Awang Maidin instructed me to contact my sources in and outside of Lahad Datu to obtain information about the Sulu sultanate.
“I did what I was told and the information I received was typed by Kons Kifli into the computer used by my colleague Kpl Ajirah Sulaiman.”
He said among the specific information he had relayed to his Special Branch superiors was a report from a contact in southern Philippines on Feb 21 that groups of Sulu people in Basilan, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi were preparing to help the intruders.
Kpl Hassan said he had also informed his supervisor Sjn Mejar Safwan Sairin on Feb 28 that Esmail Kiram had met former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) soldiers in Zamboanga.
He had also alerted the Lahad Datu Special Branch operations room on March 1 after receiving information that about 200 Suluk people were waiting in Bungao in southern Philippines to help the intruders.
The 38-year police veteran said he had never received any directive from the Sabah Special Branch chief that all information channelled to his colleagues or superiors must be in written form.
After Kpl Hassan completed reading his statement, his lawyer Ram Singh said the defence was closing their case.
Justice Ravinthran fixed Aug 2 to hear submissions.
