Family puzzled over arrest of SB officer

The worried family of Corporal Hassan Ali Basari, detained for being an alleged informant, want the police to either release him or charge him immediately.

KOTA KINABALU: The family of one of the security personnel accused of aiding the armed group of Filipinos and detained, Corporal Hassan Ali Basari claims he is being severely abused during interrogation and should be released.

They are concerned about his health and fear he is being denied medical attention.

The family also claimed that Hassan was forced to admit that he had conspired with the armed terrorists, and was being blamed for the deaths of the eight policemen, web news portal The Borneo Insider reported.

Hassan, a member of the Special Branch, was first detained on Monday and then again on Friday on suspicions of corruption.

Detained along with Hassan was one Maritime Enforcement Agency personnel and two Navy personnel stationed in Semporna.

The Borneo Insider quoted his nephew Salleh Berindi Othman as saying that the family became concerned after not hearing from him and rumours circulated that he was somehow involved with the Filipino group who had taken over Kg Tanduo in Lahad Datu and attacked and killed six policemen in Semporna.

Salleh lodged the police report at the Tanjung Aru police station here on Friday because he believed that his uncle has been wrongly detained and that he had been abused while in detention.

He said after being given the run-around for several days, he was finally allowed to meet his uncle at the Kepayan police headquarters.

“An officer told us that we could not speak to one another in our mother tongue, which is Bajau Semporna, when conversing with Hassan.

“We were also warned not to take any pictures during the meeting, as it was evident our uncle had bruises on his body,” he told reporters after lodging the police report.

“I hope the police will conduct a thorough investigation on my report and I also hope that they will allow my uncle to obtain treatment at the hospital,” he said.

Allegations out of sync
Recalling the family’s plight, he said he tried calling his uncle on March 3 but his calls went unanswered.

The Special Branch office in Lahad Datu then informed him that his uncle had gone to Kepayan in Kota Kinabalu for duty.

“But the next day when I went to the office in Kepayan, I was told that he had been detained and that nobody is allowed to see him,” said Salleh.

However on Friday, Salleh said someone from the Kepayan police headquarters phoned him and said that the family could meet his uncle.

Accompanied by his brother, Abdul Fattah Othman and Hassan’s daughter, Maryati, they rushed to Kepayan and met the Special Branch officer who has been a policeman for 40 years and is now said to be a member of the anti-terrorist unit.

The family cites his commendations by superiors and excellence awards as being out of sync with the allegations.

Salleh also said that his uncle told him that the investigating team could not find any evidence against him.

Hassan is being investigated under Section 130C of the Penal Code for allegedly giving information and being involved in the planning and intrusion of Kg Tanduo by the armed group of Filipino current being pursued by security forces.

Family members have demanded the police to either release Hassan or to charge him for any crime he has committed.

Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar has said that police have detained 79 people under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (or SOSMA) 2012.