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KOTA KINABALU: State police are on the hunt for a suspect believed to have caused the death of a local man in Beaufort during a drunken fight on December 19.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said they also enlisted the help of Sarawak police authorities, as the suspect identified as Hobalan N. Vello, also known as Jimmy Black, and his friend may have fled there.
It said eight people, including friends of the victim, had been detained as of December 22 to assist in the investigations of the case.
“This incident happened when a group of drunk men, including the deceased victim, had gone to Jimmy’s restaurant to buy alcohol,” he said during a press conference here on Tuesday (December 22).
“Jimmy, 37, who saw the drunk men, had come up to warn them to leave because apparently one of them had started a fight with his client,” Hazani said.
The drunks got angry and threatened to go back to their friends, he said.
He said Jimmy’s business associate who saw the commotion had left the store to file a police report after the drunken men left, but a physical fight ensued after that.
Hazani said police arrived at a bloody scene with several wounded men, while one died on the morning of December 22 after a few days of fighting for his life in hospital.
He also said that various social media groups, including Facebook and WhatsApp, were sharing unverified information about the incident, claiming that the incident had elements of gangsterism and of a racial nature.
“There is no gangsterism in Sabah, just petty thugs who act uncontrollably when on drugs or alcohol.”
He said the arrested suspects admitted they were all drunk during the incident, contrary to what had been circulating on social media, which claimed the deceased was sober and was only trying to break up the fight when they cut him off.
Hazani also denied that the police are offering RM10,000 for anyone who may bring Jimmy in regarding this case, as there is no such offer or there will be.
When asked about Jimmy’s background, he said he belonged to a gang in Klang more than 10 years ago, but was arrested in Keningau and placed under police surveillance before 2008.
“He was out of police surveillance after 2008, and had settled in Beaufort, a changed man from then on,” he said.
Hazani urged the local Beaufort and Sabah communities to remain calm and stop spreading rumors about the case.
“Do not take justice into your own hands, but please let us know if you have any information on his whereabouts,” he said, adding that police were also monitoring social media for provocative messages.
Sabah Chief Deputy Minister Datuk Seri, Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, extending his condolences to the family of the deceased, called for calm amid the tension.
He said no one should take the law into their own hands and advised everyone to let the authorities handle the matter.
He also said that the state government would study the current system that allows hardened criminals to be exiled to Sabah, as the state has its own immigration law and the Chief Minister has the power to deny entry to these people.
He said the state government would not hesitate to expel the rioters from Sabah. He reminded the public to control themselves when consuming alcohol.
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