Man says he lied about armed intrusion in Sabah because of in-law trouble

 

A Lahad Datu resident has been sentenced to six months’ jail after pleading guilty to lodging a fake report to enforcement authorities. (Reuters pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police said a man lodged a fake report about a group of armed foreign men sneaking into the state because his marriage did not get the blessings of his wife’s family.

The man, identified only as Ben, was jailed for six months by the Lahad Datu magistrates’ court earlier today after he confessed to giving false information on the group purportedly making an armed intrusion into the district through Long Patau early this month.

State police commissioner Idris Abdullah said police had earlier looked into his claim and found it to be fake.

“The motive was to fabricate a story that his place of stay was no longer safe so as to catch the attention of security forces,” he said in a statement here today.

“It was also related to the issue of his wife’s family not being in favour of their marriage. He was hoping that by lodging the police report the problem would disappear.”

The 42-year-old man pleaded guilty before magistrate Ryan Sagiran Rayner.

Based on the charge sheet, the accused is said to have lodged the report at the Cenderawasih police station in Lahad Datu at 7.54pm on Feb 3.

He had claimed that 13 men armed with long-barrelled firearms and dressed in army fatigues, believed to be “military men” from southern Philippines, had landed on Sabah’s shores.

Idris warned the public not to provide fake information, particularly in matters of security.

While police and other security forces welcomed useful information, he said the people must be responsible and not channel false information that could cause public concern. - FMT