KOTA KINABALU: The High Court here was told yesterday that the best person to be used to translate statements by suspects linked to the Lahad Datu intrusion two years ago would be a police personnel conversant in their mother tongue.
A former criminal investigating officer, ASP Vernon Sinclair Ak Dalton Doel said he engaged the service of such police personnel when he interrogated Filipino individuals suspected of being involved in the case.
To a question by counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan during cross examination, the police officer told the court that he was not aware court interpreters were available when police took statements from suspects.
The witness, however, disagreed with counsel that the usage of such police personnel, instead of court interpreters to translate suspects’ statements, was to make easy for the police to change whatever was said by the suspects.
Vernon Sinclair, who is now the officer-in-charge of the Labuan police station, was testifying in the trial of 30 individuals linked to the intrusion by Sulu gunmen at Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu in February 2013.
He also told the court he was not aware that a person, who had surrendered himself to the security forces at Tanjung Labian in Lahad Datu, was made a protected witness in the case.
Sivananthan: When you received this person on March 25, 2013, was this person detained at the Cenderawasih police station?
Vernon Sinclair: Yes.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that this person was put in the same cell as the 11th accused (Anuar Salib Akhmad) in this case?
Vernon Sinclair: I do not know.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that this person was beaten up almost daily during interrogation by the police?
Vernon Sinclair: I do not know.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that this person had told the 11th accused that he could not take the beatings anymore and the 11th accused advised him to say whatever the police wanted to save his life?
Vernon Sinclair: I do not know.
To another question by Sivananthan, the police officer said he could not recall if the person had told him of being promised work and land upon arriving in Sabah by boat with four of the accused persons in the trial.
He also said he could not remember if the person had told him of trying to escape with the four men after realizing the real intentions of the intruders, led by one Datu Agbimuddin Kiram.
In the dock are 27 Filipinos and three local residents who are facing one to multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group and waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
They are also alleged to have recruited members for a terrorist group or wilfully harboured individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.
The offences were allegedly committed between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013.
The hearing, before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prisons Department, continues today. — Bernama