KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — A former Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) senior officer along with three other members of the security team have filed a RM100 million suit against former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and 10 others from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for what they claimed were baseless accusations made against them, resulting in them being charged with the murder of an e-hailing driver in January last year.
Former Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Senior Assistant Commissioner (Retired) Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain in a statement said the suit was filed at the High Court in Tawau on August 15, Free Malaysia Today reported today.
Meanwhile, a separate news report published today by Malay news portal Harian Metro said that in addition to Datuk Mat Zaki, the three other plaintiffs who previously served in the intelligence unit are Fabian Anak Rungan, Dennis Anak Enit, and Mohd Azlan Sakaran.
Those named in the suit were the former Director of the PDRM Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Datuk Seri Abdul Jalil Hassan, Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa, Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, and former Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Idris Abdullah as the first to fourth defendants.
Additionally, Tawau District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Jasmin Hussin, Assistant Commissioner Ts Dr Mohd Hakim Hashom, Deputy Superintendent Yusman Shahri Marinsah, and the inspector-general of police have been named as the fifth to eighth defendants, respectively.
The police, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), and the Malaysian government are named as the ninth to eleventh defendants.
In the writ of summons, all defendants are required to file a Memorandum of Appearance within 21 days from the date of service.
Datuk Mat Zaki, when contacted, stated that this action is being taken to restore the dignity, good name, and reputation of those severely affected up to this day.
He explained that the wrongful accusations and arrests made without evidence have also damaged his reputation within the intelligence communities of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, which had been built on strong networks aimed at safeguarding the waters of these three countries from cross-border terrorist threats.
“Although we were acquitted and discharged by the court after being remanded in prison for a year, those responsible for the wrongful charges against us have never made any effort to apologise or to restore our dignity, good name, and reputation, which were severely tarnished by the false accusations.
“Even after our release, we continued to face pressure from various angles by the defendants, despite still being in the process of recovering from the trauma caused by their wrongful accusations,” he said.
Their claims include wrongful or unlawful arrest or detention, improper and malicious investigation, abuse of the investigative process, malicious reporting and leaking of investigation details, false and incorrect accusations, ongoing pressure leading to continued depression, and damage to reputation despite being acquitted and discharged by the court.
“We are filing this suit not merely to seek damages or to embarrass and discredit any party, but rather to demand justice, restore dignity, and reclaim our good name. We also want to ensure that what happened to us does not happen to others in the future,” he said.
Additionally, three other former ESSCom officers and members who were also charged are expected to file their own writs of summons in the near future through their respective lawyers.
On January 25, the Tawau High Court acquitted and discharged all eight accused, including Mat Zaki, of the charge of murdering e-hailing driver Nurman Bakaratu, 61.
