Ex-CID chief asked me to change my statement, says inspector

 Usman Lanaga says he was asked to link ex-Esscom intel chief to a 2023 murder, and was promised witness protection and a promotion.

The inspector, Usman Lanaga, was among Esscom personnel arrested to assist in the probe into the murder of the e-hailing driver three years ago. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Former federal criminal investigation department (CID) chief Abdul Jalil Hassan had asked an inspector to amend the latter’s statement to link former Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) intelligence chief Mat Zaki Zain to a 2023 murder, the Tawau High Court heard today.

Testifying in Zaki’s RM190 million suit against several former senior officers, including Jalil, police inspector Usman Lanaga said he was repeatedly asked by investigating officers to link Zaki to the murder.

In his statement, Usman contended he had no knowledge of the murder on Jan 13, 2023 as he was on holiday in Kuala Lumpur from Jan 5 to 16 that year, Berita Harian reported.

Usman, an Esscom intelligence officer at the time of the incident, was among several personnel arrested to assist in the murder probe.

He told the court that his second remand was made in Semporna, during which he was taken to the Tawau police headquarters to meet Jalil, who was Bukit Aman CID director at the time.

Usman, who now heads the narcotics crime division at the Keningau police headquarters, said Jalil told him he was there on the mandate of the then inspector-general of police (IGP).

Usman claimed that Jalil then asked him to amend his statement.

The 46-year-old said he was promised witness protection and a promotion if he agreed to do so.

However, Usman said he refused because he insisted his original statement was true and he did not want to link anyone to the murder without basis.

Senior federal counsel Zetty Zurina Kamarudin suggested that the inspector was lying about the matter, citing his failure to lodge a police report or complaint with the authorities.

However, Usman said he was distressed by the situation and feared filing a report or complaint would jeopardise his own safety.

Zetty contended that Usman’s testimony before the court was hearsay, baseless and fabricated.

Usman was the third witness in the hearing of Zaki’s suit against Jalil, the first defendant, and nine others.

The suit also names Bukit Aman’s current commercial crime and narcotics crime directors Rusdi Isa and Hussein Omar Khan, as well as the IGP, the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and the government, among others.

Zaki and seven others — six police officers and one civilian — were previously charged with the murder of e-hailing driver Nurman Bakaratu, 61, in January 2023.

In January 2024, the Tawau High Court acquitted Zaki and the seven of the joint murder charge after Nurman’s ex-wife, Nurimah Juli, confessed to the murder during her testimony.

Zaki and three others who were acquitted then filed the civil suit, seeking RM190 million in damages over their purportedly false murder charge. - FMT