KOTA KINABALU: A VAT 69 commando told the High Court here yesterday that he and his team did not find anything during a clearing operation in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, where the Sulu gunmen had holed up.
Sergeant Mohamed Sukeri Rejab testified before justice Stephen Chung that he, who led VAT 69 commandos in the operation, did not find any weapon, firearms, camouflage uniforms or leaflets in the vicinity of the village.
“After the aerial bombing by the Malaysian Army, I was tasked to clear the village area and to ensure that there were no more Sulu gunmen in the area,” he said under cross-examination by counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan.
Mohamed Sukeri was the 15th witness called by Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to give oral evidence against 29 accused persons, including the nephew of the late self-styled Sulu Sultan III Datu Jamalul Kiram, who was believed to be the man behind the intrusion in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu.
All the accused persons were alleged to have committed terrorism activities at several places in Lahad Datu, Semporna and Sandakan areas between February 12 and April 10, 2013.
To a question by Sivananthan, the witness said that he and his team found a bullet casing and kitchen knives but they did not collect the items.
When asked by Sivanathan: “After the clearing operation you and your team came out from Kampung Tanduo with nothing?”
Mohamed Sukeri answered: “Yes”.
To another question by Sivananthan, Mohamed Sukeri said that during his assignment as a spotter at one of VAT 69 snipers’ points, he did not see any of the Sulu gunmen discharging their firearms while guarding the two water points near the village area.
Abdul Gani was assisted by deputy public prosecutors Datuk Abdul Wahad Mohamed, Ishak Mad Yusoff, Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, Cheng Heng Kher and Anati Kisahi while Sivananthan was assisted by counsel James Tsai, Stella Simon, Zakaria Ahmad and Teressa Sirri. Other counsels involved were Kamarudin Mohd Chinki, Ram Singh, YS Lo, Rowiena Rasad and Abdul Ghani Zelika.
The trial continues today.