Witness thought ex-Esscom intel chief, deceased’s ex-wife were a couple

 

A witness told the Tawau High Court that he saw the ex-wife of the murder victim embracing former Esscom head of staff (intelligence) Mat Zaki Zain, one of the accused in the case. (Facebook pic)

TAWAU: The High Court here was told that former Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) head of staff (intelligence) Mat Zaki Zain, who is charged with abetting the murder of an e-hailing driver, and the ex-wife of the deceased appeared to be a couple.

However, the eighth prosecution witness in the case, Shim Vui Nyen, 51, who owns a pub in Lahad Datu, said he could not confirm this.

He said Mat Zaki and the woman, known as Anna Juli or Ann, never talked about their relationship.

In response to questions by deputy public prosecutor Rohaiza Abdul Rahman, he said Mat Zaki and the woman looked like they were a couple based on their gestures when they were together.

Shim was testifying on the third day of the trial in which six policemen and a civilian were charged with killing an e-hailing driver early last year.

The policemen Rosdi Rastam, 45, Denis Anit, 45, Fabian Rungam, 44, Khairul Azman Bakar, 47, Azlan Sakaran, 40, and John Kennedy Sanggah, 44, and a civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, were charged with the murder of Nurman Bakaratu, 61, at an oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Baru 5 here.

They were accused of committing the offence between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on Jan 13 last year and were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34 of the same law, and face the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.

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

According to Shim, he did once ask Ann about her marital status and the woman said she was single.

When cross-examined by lawyer Ram Singh about the relationship between Mat Zaki and Ann, Shim said he saw Ann embracing Mat Zaki after a drinking session.

In response to a question by lawyer Ansari Abdullah, he said there was an occasion when Ann hit Nurman’s white car with a stick after an argument in Shim’s pub, but could not confirm the nature of the disagreement.

During re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Khairul Azreem Mamat, Shim said he received a call from Ann on Jan 16, 2023, asking him to tell Mat Zaki not to reply to any message received from her phone.

However, Mat Zaki was told he could reply to messages received from telephone number 22298, said the witness.

The trial before Justice Duncan Sikodol continues tomorrow. - FMT