Ex-CID Chief Asked Me To Change My Statement, Inspector Tells Court

A police inspector has told the court that a former Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director, Jalil, asked him to change his statement in connection with the 2023 murder of an e-hailing driver in Sabah.

Testifying in Zaki's RM190 million suit against several former senior officers, including Jalil, 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 his second remand was made in Semporna, during which he was taken to the Tawau police headquarters to meet Jalil, who was then Bukit Aman CID director.

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.

The 46-year-old claimed Jalil then asked him to amend his statement, and that he was promised witness protection and a promotion if he agreed. He 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 the inspector was lying, citing his failure to lodge a police report or complaint with the authorities. Usman replied that he was distressed by the situation and feared filing a report would jeopardise his own safety.

Zetty contended that Usman's testimony 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 them 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.