Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar
KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today confirmed that there was no abduction of Malaysians in Sulu waters off Sabah last Wednesday.
He said the Philippine authorities had not given any confirmation on the matter so far.
Khalid was asked to comment on a foreign news report last week quoting Tawi-Tawi Police chief Jeselito Salido as saying that unidentified kidnappers had taken hostages to the Sitankai waters in Tawi-Tawi before proceeding to Sulu.
The report quoted Mindanao armed forces as having confirmed this.
Khalid also said that there was no necessity for an inquiry into the issue of payment of RM12 million in relation to the recent release of four Malaysians abducted on April 1 by the Abu Sayyaf militants in southern Philippines.
“Why must there be an inquiry, because we are not involved … we know where the money went,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed on June 16 that the money handed over by the victims’ families to the security forces that handled the case in Sandakan, Sabah, was given to a legal entity engaged in welfare work in the Philippines.
Khalid spoke to reporters after handing over Aidilfitri cookies to heads of Royal Malaysia Police departments for distribution to police personnel who would be on duty during the Aidilfitri holidays. – Bernama