KOTA KINABALU: A special branch officer testified in the High Court here yesterday that he recognized the cellphone found in a car where two suspects were in, as that belonging to his late superior.
A coordinating officer of Bukit Aman special branch, ASP Wan Kamal Rizal Wan Daud, 35, told Justice Stephen Chung that he had seen his boss use the hand phone many times during daily activities at the office and during any operation.
The 95th witness made a positive identification of the gadget in court, now commonly dubbed as a smartphone, belonging to the late Superintendent Ibrahim Lebar, who was killed during an operation at Kampung Sri Jaya in Simunul, Semporna on March 2, 2013.
Under examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor, Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed, the witness said that the hand phone was found inside a green bag, which contained a few clothing, inside the car’s boot.
The witness testified that on March 13, 2013 at about 7.45 am he received information from his source that the two suspects were heading to Jalan Lihak-Lihak in Semporna in two cars.
“I then contacted the tracking and physical surveillance officers to inform them that the two suspects were in the area of Jalan Lihak-Lihak and instructed them to carry out their assignment by tracking and inspecting the two suspects,” the witness explained.
The witness further said that on the same day at about 10.45 am, these officers informed him that they had managed to arrest the suspects.
The witness later identified the two suspects as the accused, namely Abdul Majil Jubin and Basil Samiul.
The trial was against Abdul Majil, Basil and the other 28 accused persons, including one woman and a nephew of the late self-styled sulu Sultan III, Datu Jamalul Kiram, who faced various charges of committing terrorism acts.
The 30 accused persons were arrested at several places in Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak and Sandakan between February 12 and April 10, 2013.
They 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 doubled as an open court at the Kepayan prisons here under tight security by police and prison personnel, will continue today.