TIGHTER SECURITY AT COURTHOUSE

KOTA KINABALU: Tighter security measures were taken at the courthouse yesterday following Monday’s bomb hoax during the start of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into illegal immigrant issues in Sabah.

City police chief, ACP Jauteh Dikun, said, police believed the prank call, that was made by a male caller at 2.30pm on Monday, was intended to disrupt the RCI proceedings.

“Police are still investigating the case and looking at every angle. No arrest has been made at the moment and police has urged anyone with any information to come forward to assist in our investigation,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Jauteh added that police were still carrying out investigation to identify the caller and that the case would be investigated under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code.

The first day of the RCI was abruptly halted after police ordered the evacuation of the courthouse following a bomb threat.

Court guards immediately ushered commission members, witnesses and members of the public out of the courthouse after a male caller claimed that there was a bomb wrapped in a black plastic bag and placed in a dustbin.

A police bomb squad and K9 dog unit were deployed to the scene but did not found any bomb in the courthouse and the surrounding area after two hours of combing the area. The RCI proceeding resumed without any incident. (BP)