KOTA KINABALU: A Bukit Aman Special Branch (SB) officer assigned to conduct surveillance on six suspects linked to the Lahad Datu intrusion last year was merely taking photographs or video recordings, the High Court here was told yesterday.
Inspector Mohd Mokhsin Mohd Sidit, 34, said during re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar that although his photographs and video recordings did not incriminate the suspects, they were wanted individuals under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.
“The six targets (suspects) were involved in the intrusion in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu (in February last year) and the attack in Kampung Simunul, Semporna (on March 2 last year), which were inter related.
“The photographs and video recordings were only taken once, solely for the purpose of tracing the identities and location of the targets and not for other purposes,” he explained.
He was asked to clarify by counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan during crosss examination on why he had agreed that one of the suspects Norhaida Ibnahi, 47, was not seen to be doing anything sinister in both the photographs and video recordings.
Mohd Mokhsin, the prosecution’s 50th witness, was testifying in the trial of 30 accused charged with various offences in connection with the Lahad Datu intrusion.
The SB officer was assigned to track down and carry out surveillance on the suspects Norhaida; Tani Lahaddahi, 60s; Basil Samiul, 34; Abdul Majil Jubin, 40s; Abdul Hadi Mawan, 50 and Datu Amir Bahar Hushin Kiram, 50s, who are also among the 30 accused on trial.
He also said all the photographs and video recordings were handed over to the operation’s coordinating officer ASP Wan Kamal Rizal Wan Daud, 34.
Asked by Sivananthan to clarify on why he had agreed that two other accused, Rijmal Salleh, 21 and Rizman Gulan, 19, were not mentioned in his evidence, he replied: “The names Rijmal and Rizman were not in my team’s list of suspects”.
The duo’s names appeared in a police report following the arrest of Basil and Abdul Majil on March 13 last year, and further investigation showed that they were involved in the intrusion and the attack in Kampung Simunul.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman SB officer ASP Nik Adzian Wan Ismail, 40, told the court that he was assigned to detect mobile phone signals of the six suspects around Semporna using a special device.
He said he was given mobile phone numbers to track down – Tani, who was using mobile phone number 012-83888304; Basil (019-7569906); Abdul Majil (012-8066842); Abdul Hadi (011-25259482); Norhaida (013-6067588); and Datu Amir Bahar, who was using two numbers 017-8953979 and 012-8104507.
In the dock are 27 Filipinos and three local residents, in which some are facing multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group, for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, recruiting members for a terrorist group or wilfully harbouring individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.
They allegedly committed the offences between February 12 and April 10 last year. The hearing before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prisons Department continues today.
— Bernama