Filipino army officer’s identification document found in Lahad Datu, court told

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KOTA KINABALU: An identification card (IC) belonging to a high ranking Filipino army official was found at a skirmish area in Kampung Tanjung Batu, Lahad Datu on March 7, last year, the High Court here was told yesterday.

ASP Mursalim Mohd Salleh said the document was among 21 types of ICs bearing Philippine citizenship.

“I remember that one of the cards was under the name, ‘General Musa’,” he said.

When identifying the cards tendered in court, he said one had the words which read, ‘General Headquarters Bangsa Sulu Royal Security Force’ under the name, ‘General Musa A Abdullah.’

He told the court that the cardholder’s post was stated as ‘Vice Chief of Staff’ and was signed by ‘Raja Muda Datu Agbimuddin Kiram, Royal Defence Minister.’

Mursalim also told the court that six of the ICs displayed the words, ‘Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo (Sabah)’, with most bearing the signature of Datu Agbimuddin.

The other cards displayed the words, ‘General Headquarters Royal Security Force’; ‘Headquarters 3rd Royal Security Force (Cobra) Brigade’; ‘Headquarters Mindanao Allied Force (MAF) Inc’, ‘General Headquarters Royal Armed Forces’ and one with words that read, ‘Office of the President of the Philippines. Office of the Presidential Advisor of the Peace Process’.

Mursalim noted that among the identification documents were health cards, association membership cards, community college card, high school card and a voter’s identification card.

Earlier, he identified 14 documents which he had seized at the village, including a blank piece of paper, two blank withdrawal slips of Bank Islam and lyrics of a religious song in the Suluk language.

Thirty accused, comprising 27 Filipinos and three local residents, are being tried in the case, in which some are facing multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group or waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, recruiting members for a terrorist group or willfully harbouring individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.

They allegedly committed the offences between Feb 12 and April 10 last year.

The hearing before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prisons Department continues today. — Bernama