Lahad Datu Event
THE STAR: KOTA KINABALU: A senior police officer met the elder brother of the man who led a group of about 200 Sulu gunmen to occupy Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu two months before the February incident.
Former Sabah Special Branch deputy chief Senior Asst Comm Zulkifli Abd Aziz said he met Datu Esmail Kiram in late December 2012.
He told the High Court here that he met Esmail, brother of the self-styled Sulu sultan Jamallul Kiram, for a cup of coffee and to "get to know him."
Questioned by counsel Ram Singh, he said Esmail did not reveal plans by the so-called Royal Sulu Force to occupy Tanduo.
Instead, Zulkifli said Esmail asked for his help to look for investors to develop his 1,600ha land in Mindanao into an oil palm plantation.
Zulkifli said he contacted Esmail on Feb 12 to obtain the telephone number of his younger brother, Datuk Agbimuddin Kiram, the leader of the Sulu gunmen.
Ram: I put it to you that you and the Special Branch were aware of the possible Sulu gunmen intrusion into Sabah as early as December 2012.
Zulkifli: No
Zulkifli said he was only alerted of the intrusion when he received a call from a duty officer at the Sabah Command Control Centre on Feb 12.
Zulkilfli was testifying at the trial of D/Korp Hassan Ali Basari, 58, who was accused of intentionally omitting to give any information relating to terrorist acts between January and March 3 at the Special Branch office in the Lahad Datu police station in relation to the Sulu gunmen intrusion.
The charge under Section 130M of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to seven years or a fine or both upon conviction.
Questioned further by Ram, Zulkifli said he cracked jokes and distributed cigarettes to ease a very tense situation when he met Agbimuddin and other gunmen in Kampung Tanduo.
There were three meetings between Feb 14 and 16 for "tactical intelligence" purposes apart from trying to convince the group to leave.
"I cracked a few jokes to liven up the situation by promising to
Former Sabah Special Branch deputy chief Senior Asst Comm Zulkifli Abd Aziz said he met Datu Esmail Kiram in late December 2012.
He told the High Court here that he met Esmail, brother of the self-styled Sulu sultan Jamallul Kiram, for a cup of coffee and to "get to know him."
Questioned by counsel Ram Singh, he said Esmail did not reveal plans by the so-called Royal Sulu Force to occupy Tanduo.
Instead, Zulkifli said Esmail asked for his help to look for investors to develop his 1,600ha land in Mindanao into an oil palm plantation.
Zulkifli said he contacted Esmail on Feb 12 to obtain the telephone number of his younger brother, Datuk Agbimuddin Kiram, the leader of the Sulu gunmen.
Ram: I put it to you that you and the Special Branch were aware of the possible Sulu gunmen intrusion into Sabah as early as December 2012.
Zulkifli: No
Zulkifli said he was only alerted of the intrusion when he received a call from a duty officer at the Sabah Command Control Centre on Feb 12.
Zulkilfli was testifying at the trial of D/Korp Hassan Ali Basari, 58, who was accused of intentionally omitting to give any information relating to terrorist acts between January and March 3 at the Special Branch office in the Lahad Datu police station in relation to the Sulu gunmen intrusion.
The charge under Section 130M of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to seven years or a fine or both upon conviction.
Questioned further by Ram, Zulkifli said he cracked jokes and distributed cigarettes to ease a very tense situation when he met Agbimuddin and other gunmen in Kampung Tanduo.
There were three meetings between Feb 14 and 16 for "tactical intelligence" purposes apart from trying to convince the group to leave.
"I cracked a few jokes to liven up the situation by promising to