KOTA KINABALU: The High Court today heard that the wife of an accused in the Lahad Datu intrusion trial, who was arrested with him about two years ago, may not have left Malaysia.
Acting ASP Mohammad Khairani Khalid, who was attached to the Bukit Aman Special Action Unit (UTK) when he made the arrest on Datu Amir Bahar Hushin Kiram, said he did not know what happened to Gina Teves as she was not implicated in the case despite being arrested with her husband.
The couple was arrested on March 23, 2013 at a bushy and swampy area at Kampung Sri Melor in Semporna.
During cross examination, counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan asked the witness if he knew whether the woman was still in police custody or in the custody of any other Malaysian authority as there was confirmation that she had never re-entered the Philippines, nor had she contacted her family since her arrest.
“I do not know,” replied the witness.
Mohammad Khairani, who is now an escort and security officer to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, was testifying in the trial of 30 individuals, including Datu Amir Bahar, linked to the armed intrusion that occurred at Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that the immigration authorities have no record of deporting Gina Teves, which would have been done for someone who had been arrested?
Mohammad Khairani: I do not know.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that since Gina Teves was arrested, she had not made contact with her two sons?
Mohammad Khairani: I do not know.
“Do you agree with me that for some reason, Gina Teves has been prevented from contacting her family, especially her two sons, and that would be an exceptionally cruel act on the part of whoever is detaining them (sons)?” questioned Sivananthan further, to which the witness replied he did not know.
Mohammad Khairani agreed with the lawyer that he had not been shown any document in court that Teves had been deported.
To a question by Sivananthan, the witness did not remember if ACP Hazani Ghazali, the commanding officer in the operation to track down and arrest suspects linked to the intrusion, had mentioned in his operations briefing that Datu Amir Bahar was assisting the police to negotiate with the intruders at Kampung Tanduo.
In the dock are 27 Filipinos and three local residents who are facing one to multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group, waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, recruiting members for a terrorist group or wilfully harbouring individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.
They allegedly committed the offences between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013.
The hearing before Justice Stephen Chung continues tomorrow at the Sabah Prisons Department. -Bernama