Bomb scare forces hearing to be put off

Kota Kinabalu: THE first day of the RCI hearings was cut short following a bomb scare that saw the courthouse complex evacuated 45 minutes after lunch break.

Conducting Officer, Manoj Kurup, was wrapping up questions for the third witness when he was stopped by RCI Secretary Datuk Saripudin Kasim who later spoke to RCI Chairman, Tan Sri Steve Shim.

Shim then announced that the proceedings had to be adjourned for a short break due to some emergencies at about 2.45pm and immediately after that, police personnel came requesting everyone to leave the building until further notice.

City Police Traffic and Public Order Chief, DSP Peter Umbuas, with a loud hailer advised a large group of people from the courts as well as public standing in front of the courthouse gate to disperse "to avoid any risk."

The two roads in front of the courthouse were also cordoned.

Less than 15 minutes later, a team from the police bomb disposal unit arrived followed by the K-9 unit to sweep the courthouse.

One hour later, City Police Chief ACP Jauteh Dikun who was overseeing the procedure gave the green light for the court personnel to return and declared it as a hoax believed aimed at disrupting the RCI proceedings.

Speaking to reporters, he said the court telephone operator received a call at about 2.30pm from a man who spoke in Malay claiming there was a bomb wrapped in a plastic bag placed inside one of the rubbish bins in the courthouse.

"Based on the information we made a thorough inspection and found no such object," he said.

Jauteh said police were investigating the case and would be tracing the phone call.

The RCI public hearing nonetheless did not proceed as it had been adjourned to 8.30am today.

The RCI hearing will go on until January 18 and resume from January 28 to February 1, February 22 to 27.

Source : Daily Express