Accused denies communicating with Lahad Datu intrusion leader

From the Malay Online (Feb 25): Accused denies communicating with Lahad Datu intrusion leader

An accused in the Lahad Datu intrusion case denied communicating with the leader of the armed group that intruded into Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu about three years ago.

Basil Samiul, 35, a Filipino, said he did not know who the leader, Datu Agbimuddin Kiram, was and also did not recognise the telephone number 019-7569906 claimed to be used by the accused in the conversations.

 “My telephone number is 012-6418816. I bought the number from a shop in Semporna in 2010 when I came to Sabah,” said the accused in the Suluk language, whose testimony was translated by a court interpreter.

Basil was entering his defence for a charge of soliciting or giving support to a terrorist group and had chose to testify in the witness dock.

The accused also denied that the person known as ‘Basil’ in communication interception transcripts was not him.

To a question by counsel Majnah Abdillah, he said he had a red Nokia handphone that was never tendered in court during the prosecution trial, despite being seized by the police officer who arrested him.

He told the court that he learnt from the police officer’s testimony in court during the prosecution trial that the handphone was returned to his wife.

Basil said on the day of his arrest on March 13, 2013, he and his family wanted to return to their house at Kampung Sejati 2 in Semporna after staying at his cousin’s house at Kampung Lihak-Lihak, Semporna.

He told the court that he had difficulty finding transport because he and his family were illegal immigrants and did not possess identification documents.

He said he met a man in Lahad Datu who was able to provide transport for him and his family and they went in a Perodua Viva driven by the man to fetch them at a junction at Kampung Lihak-Lihak.

A Perodua MyVi, driven by the older brother of the man, followed them from behind, he said.

 “After fetching my family at the junction, police had stopped us and we were arrested about a mile after the junction,” he said.

During cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, Basil said he disagreed that his hometown of Siasi, Sibangkat in the Philippines was under the rule of the Sulu Sultanate.

 “I do not know any Sulu sultan. As far as I know, my hometown is ruled by the Philippine government,” he said.

The accused, who never learnt to read and write, said he and his family travelled illegally to Sabah because life in his hometown was hard.

He told the court that he knew Sabah was ruled by the Malaysian government and although he was aware that he was living here illegally, it did not mean he had no respect for Malaysia’s immigration law.

 “I just did not the have opportunity to obtain any travel document from the Philippines because I was poor,” said Basil, who had lived on selling fish, fruits and plastic bags at the Semporna market.

On March 2, 2013, the night of the skirmish at Kampung Simunul in Semporna, he told the court that he did not sell his ware at the market and stayed at home because the situation at Semporna was already chaotic.

Thirteen Filipinos and a local man are entering their defence before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prison Department for various offences allegedly committed between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013.

Some of the accused are facing one to multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group and waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Some are alleged to have wilfully harboured individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group, or solicited or gave support to a terrorist group. The hearing continues tomorrow.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/accused-denies-communicating-with-lahad-datu-intrusion-leader