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.....Police need more time to investigate death of teenage girl in Kota Marudu.
KOTA MARUDU: A Pakistani
suspect, who was detained last Sunday following the discovery of the body of a
teenage girl by a roadside near Kampung Ranau, about 2km from Kota Marudu town,
has been further remanded for another seven days.
District police chief DSP
Mohd Isa Yusof disclosed that the remand of the Pakistani, in his 40s, which
expired yesterday, was extended by the court at their request.
“We applied to the court to
extend the remand for another seven days as we need more time to investigate
the case,” he said when contacted yesterday.
“Once the investigation into
this case is completed, we will submit the investigation paper to the Deputy
Public Prosecutor’s office (for further action),” he said.
The case is being
investigated under Section 304 of the Penal Code for manslaughter, an offence
which provides for a jail term of up to 30 years and also liable to a fine upon
conviction.
Mohd Isa pointed out that
the post-mortem report from the Pathology Department has revealed that there was
no sign that the victim was raped as speculated by certain parties.
Norikoh Saliwa, 16, from
Kampung Bombong 1 was found dead with head injuries at the side of the road
leading to Kampung Ranau around 12.40pm on November 25.
Following the discovery of her
body, the Pakistani suspect was nabbed in Kota Marudu the next day and was then
remanded for seven days to assist police in investigation.
Meanwhile, the UPKO
Komulakan Movement has urged the police to widen the scope of investigation
into the death of Norikoh.
“In extending our deepest
sympathy to the family of the late Norikoh, we support the need for a thorough
investigation into this case, not just as a murder case, but also into the
legality of documents in the possession of the suspect,” said its chief, Ewon
Benedick.
“A Pakistani is being
detained. He must have with him some documentation in order to open a business
in Kota Marudu. If he has MyKad, then an investigation of how he obtained it
must be undertaken,” he added.
“Even if Norikoh was not
raped, justice must prevail not only to the family, but to the people of Sabah,
who have been asking for the truth regarding the extra-ordinary increase of
foreigners in the state,” he said.
Ewon, who is also the deputy
chief of UPKO Kota Belud, urged the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on
illegal immigrants in Sabah to make this tragic incident a case study.
“Just weeks before, we have
heard villagers in Sook decried having known a foreigner whose MyKad address
was in their kampung. There could be more such cases. We have been asking why
this is happening and getting no plausible response from the authority,” said
Ewon.
“A minister recently
responded in Parliament that foreigners in Sabah do not pose a threat to
security. He apparently had not been briefed on the real situation as it
appears to contradict what has been published in the newspapers. Almost
everyday, we read of foreigners in connection with crime,” he said.
“I was in Beaufort today to
attend a wedding reception, and some of the people who attended the event said
they are beginning to fear for the future, the safety of their children and
grandchildren. Gone were the days when the people of Sabah can walk on the
beach or at town centres or wherever they go freely and securely,” he said.
Ewon, who is also a Supreme
Council member of UPKO, is urging the people, especially the authority in the
villages such as the village chiefs and Village Development and Security
Committee chairmen to do their part in preventing the influx of foreigners into
their villages.
“Don’t allow these
foreigners to peddle their furniture or clothing, or allow them to tap rubber
or work in your plantation. They are potential security threat, if not today,
possibly tomorrow,” said Ewon. (BP)
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