TAWAU: The sessions court here today fixed three days starting March 23 next year, for the trial of a plantation manager charged with failing to surrender two tusks belonging to a protected Borneo elephant to Wildlife Department officials.
Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud fixed the trial of Felda plantation manager, Jaifol Liun, 52, from March 23 to March 25.
Awang Kerisnada ruled the three-day trial from March 23-25 be allowed to be tried along with the case of three other men, namely Paranchoi Nordin, 59, Abdullah Simin, 68, and Martin Alok, 44, who were charged with possessing or conspiring to possess two elephant tusks of the Borneo elephant..
The court also fixed April 16 to deliver its decision at the end of the prosecution’s case and Jaifol, who was represented by lawyer Goldam Hamid, had his bail extended.
In today’s proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Mohamed Ali Imran informed the court that nine prosecution witnesses would be called to give evidence during the trial.
Mohamed Ali also requested Jaifol’s case to be tried along with the other three men on the grounds that it involved witnesses and exhibits similar to Jaifol’s case.
On Nov 13, Jaifol, pleaded not guilty at the sessions court here on charges of failing to hand over products of a protected animal, namely two tusks of a Borneo elephant to authorised officials of the Sabah Wildlife Department.
He allegedly committed the offence at the plantation manager’s house in Kampung Felda Umas, Kalabakan at 9 am on Oct 2.
Jaifol was among six suspects arrested by police on Oct 2 in ‘Ops Khazanah’, after an elephant was found dead with gunshot wounds on Sept 25 by anglers in Sungai Udin, Dumpas, Kalabakan.
Earlier, Paranchoi, Abdullah and Martin had also pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing or conspiring to possess two elephant tusks from a fully protected animal species in Sabah. — Bernama
