3 cops arrested at Esscom office in murder case, court hears

 

Former Esscom chief of staff (intelligence) Mat Zaki Zain (right), six Esscom members and civilian Vivien Fabian (left) are accused of murdering and abetting in the murder of an e-hailing driver. (Bernama pic)

TAWAU: A senior police officer from Bukit Aman told the High Court here that he had arrested three policemen at the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) office in Lahad Datu, Sabah, in connection with the murder of e-hailing driver Nurman Bakaratu.

Nazmi Zulkafli, 33, from the D14 organised crime investigation division, said he arrested Rosdi Rastam and Khairul Azman Bakar at 5.25pm on Jan 25 last year, while John Kennedy Sanggah was arrested at 3.30pm two days later.

The 16th prosecution witness said he went to the Esscom office with his team to meet the suspects.

“I introduced myself as a police officer and showed my authorisation card. I then asked the suspects to produce their identification documents. After checking that they were the persons we were looking for, I conducted a body search on them and also confiscated their mobile phones.

“They were arrested under Section 302 of the Penal Code and then taken to the Tawau police headquarters for further investigation,” he said.

The witness said this during the examination by deputy public prosecutor Fakhrurrazi Ahmad on the sixth day of the trial of eight people, including former Esscom chief of staff (intelligence) Mat Zaki Zain, charged with killing the e-hailing driver early last year.

The other accused comprised six policemen – Rosdi, 45, Denis Anit, 45, Fabian Rungam, 44, Khairul, 47, Azlan Sakaran, 40, and Sanggah, 44, – and a civilian, Vivien Fabian, 34.

They are charged with murdering Nurman at a palm oil plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Baru 5 here between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on Jan 13 last year.

The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34 of the same law, provides for the death penalty upon conviction.

Mat Zaki, 59, is facing two charges of conspiring to kill Nurman, according to Section 109 of the Penal Code read with Section 302 of the same code.

Meanwhile, when questioned by lawyer Ram Singh, who was representing Mat Zaki and two other accused, the witness denied that the three suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in an organised crime.

“I was not in Sabah for an organised crime case,” said the witness.

The trial before Judge Duncan Sikodol continues. - FMT