KOTA KINABALU: An elderly man, who was charged with committing terrorism acts, testified in the High Court here yesterday that he was told that he will be appointed as a village chief if he followed Raja Muda Datu Agbimuddin Kiram to Sabah.
Ismail Hj Yassin, 76, told Justice Stephen Chung that after he was told that, he then followed them to enter Sabah in February 2013 in a big boat.
Under examination-in-chief, the 15th witness explained that it all started when one Herman, who came to their village at Tandubanak in Sibutu, Philippines, had promised that not only will he be a chief village but would also be given jobs and identity cards (IC) if they followed Datu Agbimuddin.
“In a letter shown to us by Herman, there was no mention of any war and I left for Sabah with my cousin. There were 28 of us, who started our journey from Sibutu to Kampung Tanduo,” said the witness, who gave evidence from the witness dock.
The witness explained that when they arrived at Kampung Tanduo, he heard that one Tuan Zul came to negotiate and Datu Agbimuddin was asked to leave.
“At that time, I realized that I was cheated because Herman had come to my village and said that we will be given jobs and ICs, but now all the promises were lies,” said the witness, who worked as a farmer.
He further said that on March 1, 2013, he heard gunshots and ran away to an empty house.
I entered the house and a while later when I came out of the house, which is located near a river, I saw a ‘lepa’ (boat) by the riverbank.
“There was an oar inside the boat, so I climbed into the lepa bringing along my bag which I had with me and then paddled the lepa towards the sea,” he said.
He recalled that while at sea, he saw a navy vessel and said to himself that he was now safe.
“I was then taken up onto the navy vessel and photographed by those who arrested me and my belongings were taken,” added the witness.
The trial, held at an open court at the Kepayan prisons here under tight security will continue today.