Published on: Saturday, March 09, 2013 |
Salleh Berindi Othman said he called his policeman uncle, Cpl Hassan Ali Basari, 60, on March 3 but all his calls went unanswered.
"I called the Special Branch office in Lahad Datu and I was informed that my uncle went to Kepayan in Kota Kinabalu for duty.
"But when I went to the Special Branch in Kepayan on March 4, I was told that he was being detained and that nobody was allowed to see him," he said after lodging a police report at the Tanjung Aru police station, Friday.
Six days later, on March 8, Salleh said someone from the Kepayan police headquarters called him to say that he could meet his uncle.
Accompanied by his brother, Abdul Fattah Othman and Hassan's daughter, Maryati, they went to the Kepayan police headquarters.
However, according to him, an officer told them they are not allowed to speak in their mother tongue, which is Bajau Semporna, when conversing with Hassan.
"We were also warned not to take pictures during the meeting with our uncle," he said, and claimed to notice bruises on his body.
He said Hassan told him he was being investigated under Section 130C of the Penal Code for allegedly giving information and being involved in the planning and intrusion at Kg Tanduo, Lahad Datu.
Salleh said his uncle has been a policeman for about 40 years and received commendation and excellence awards from the police force.
He said that he lodged the police report because he believed that his uncle had been wrongly detained and was abused in detention.
"I hope the police will conduct a thorough investigation and I also hope that they will allow my uncle to obtain treatment at the hospital," he said.
Salleh said his uncle told him that the investigating team could not find any evidence linking him to the allegations.
He claimed that Hassan was forced to admit that he conspired with the armed terrorists and said he would not hesitate to take civil action against the parties concerned.
Salleh said Hassan wished to inform his family that he is in good spirits and healh and not to worry about him.
Meanwhile, President of Semporna Bumiputera Bajau Association (Perbubas), Mansor Santiri, said Perbubas fully supported the assault by Malaysian security forces against the terrorists.
He said that it is very important that the security forces maintain and ensure peace in Sabah.
Regarding Hassan's predicament, he urged the police to carry out a thorough investigation in a professional manner and based on the existing law as enshrined in the constitution of the country.
"If the police do not have and firm evidence that he was involved in the said allegation, he should be released immediately," he said.
