Malaysian accused in Tanduo intrusion hid in surau, court told

0

KOTA KINABALAU: The High Court here yesterday heard that the son of a man dubbed ‘Mat Bom’, who faces two charges of waging war against the King and being a member of the Sulu gunmen, was alleged to have hidden at a Kampung Tulibas Besar surau in Tungku, Lahad Datu, a few kilometers from Kampung Tanduo.

Special Branch Inspector Saiful Adli Hashim told Justice Stephen Chung that on March 22 at about 9.15pm, a corporal from Cenderawasih police station in Lahad Datu informed him via telephone that the Malaysian accused Mohd Ali Ahmad was allegedly hiding in the surau, which is next to Kampung Dengan.

“The corporal only mentioned Mohd Ali, and I informed Sabah police headquarters E1 staff officer Superintendent Mohd Zahari Sidek,” said the 78th witness under examination-in-chief by senior federal counsel Jamil Aripin.

The witness further said Mohd Zahari had instructed him and detective corporal Jumat Sahibin to go to the target place at Kampung Tulibas Besar.

“Our journey from the Cenderawasih police station to Kampung Tulibas Besar was guided by Lance Corporal Salim Norhazim and we arrived at the village at 10pm on March 20, 2013,” the witness said.

To a question by Jamil, the witness said when they arrived at the village, they did an observation and after they found it safe, they then alighted from their vehicle, which was parked 50 meters from the surau.

“We met the villagers who informed us that Mohd Ali and a woman were near the surau,” explained the witness, adding that the other villagers had surrounded Mohd Ali and the woman in order to limit the duo’s movements.

To another question by Jamil, the witness further testified that he and the two personnel accompanied by the villagers proceeded to the surau.

“We stopped at a distance of 10 meters from the surau to observe the situation as we wanted to ensure that the information we received was true.

“I saw Mohd Ali and the woman surrounded by some 15 villagers in front of the five-foot way of the surau,” the witness further said.

Jamil: At that time what were Mohd Ali and the woman doing?

Witness: Both of them were sitting on the five-foot way and could not move as they were surrounded.

Jamil: How did you identify Mohd Ali?

Witness: Based on photos supplied to me by the Special Branch, and intelligence information.

“We then came nearer and asked the villagers to give way to the police to conduct checks on Mohd Ali and the woman,” the witness testified.

Jamil: What was your finding?

Witness: I did not find any weapons or identifications on both of them.

Jamil: Did you seize anything from them?

Witness: I seized a black sling bag from the woman.

“Upon checking the two of them, Mohd Ali told me his name and the woman told me that her name was Sugira, who is Mohd Ali’s wife,” the witness further testified.

To another question by Jamil, the witness said Mohd Ali and his wife looked tired and they had many scratches on their hands and legs which seemed like cuts from the jungle.

The witness then said Mohd Ali and his wife were brought to the Cenderawasih police station and reached there at about 11pm.

The witness testified that Mohd Ali was a local who was Badjao Suluk.

“Mohd Ali’s late father, also known as ‘Mat Bom’, was a Badjao man and Mohd Ali’s mother is a Suluk,” explained the witness, adding that Mohd Ali also owned an oil palm plantation.

Apart from that, the witness further said before his arrest, Mohd Ali lived in two villages, namely Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Labian.

“Mohd Ali could not be traced at Kampung Tanjung Labian and his house there seemed to have been abandoned for a long time but the house was still furnished.”

The trial was against Mohd Ali and 29 persons who were charged with committing terrorism acts at several places in Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak and Sandakan between February 12 and April 10, 2013.

The 30 accused persons, including a nephew of the late self-styled Sulu Sultan III Datu Jamalul Kiram, are liable to the mandatory death sentence while the rest face imprisonment for life and a fine, upon conviction.

The trial, held at a hall which doubled as an open court at the Kepayan prisons here under tight security checks by the police and prison personnel, will continue on March 9.