Musa’s ‘distant relative’ jailed for ‘identity’ issue

There has been no official request from Manila to deport Manuel K Amalilio, suspected of scamming 15,000 Filipinos of RM859 million.

KOTA KINABALU: Mohammad Kamal Said aka Manuel K Amalilio, the fugitive wanted by the Philippine authority was yesterday charged with possessing a Philippine passport and sentenced to two years’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court here.

Magistrate Nuruhuda Mohd Yusof imposed the sentence on Mohammad Kamal Sa’aid, 47, after he pleaded guilty to a charge framed under Section 12 (1) (d) of the Passport Act 1966 which is punishable by a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term of up to two years or both, upon conviction.

The proceedings was held at a medical ward Queen Elizabeth Hospital One here, where the accused was admitted believed to be suffering a liver ailment.

The accused, who was defended by counsel Hairul Vaiyron Othman, was detained at Terminal Two of the Kota Kinabalu International on Jan 25, for committing the offence.

The charge stated that, Mohammad Kamal possessed the Philippine passport under the name of Amilillio Manuel Karingal bearing the numbers XX4025549 which he had obtained fraudulently.

The accused was ordered to serve his jail sentence from the date of his arrest on Jan 25 this year.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Azwal Azman told the court that the accused was arrested by a police team and among items seized were his MyKad as well as his Philippine passport.

He said investigation by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department confirmed that he is a Malaysian in possession of a Philippine passport without legal authority.

Pleading for a light sentence, his counsel submitted that his client had no criminal record.

Hairul also said that Mohammad Kamal had regretted what he had done and requested for an appropriate sentence to be imposed on him.

No official request to deport

In reply, Azwal applied for a deterrent sentence taking into account that this case had involved Malaysia and the Philippine.

The magistrate also ordered the passport to be surrendered to the Immigration Department following an application by the prosecution for further action.

Mohammad Kamal became infamous overnight following his arrest by the police.

He is accused of being the mastermind of an investment scheme and had fled to Sabah from the Philippines after allegedly cheating 15,000 Filipinos of nearly 12 billion pesos (RM895 million) last November.

State Police Commissioner Hamza Taib revealed that the police had detained the accused in Ranau over “identity issues” and not the investment scam in the Philippines.

There had been no official request by Manila police to Bukit Aman to arrest Mohammad Kamal so far, said Hamza.
In November last year, the Philippine police launched a manhunt for the accused, purportedly a Malaysian from Sabah who went by a different name in the Philippines.

The accused, who allegedly told Filipino investors that he was related to several senior Sabah politicians including Chief Minister Musa Aman, was said to have operated a pyramid investment scheme under a company called Aman Future Group Philippines Inc, promising returns of up to 67%.

The victims had used their savings, mortgaged homes and borrowed to invest in the scheme.

Among those who lost money in the scheme are senior Philippines government officers and including President Benigno Aquino’s sister Kris who was said to have invested 50 million pesos in it. A family of 25 members reportedly lost a total of 150 million pesos, while another investor claimed to have lost 31 million pesos.

Musa’s ‘distant relative’

Many affected Filipinos have also been coming to Sabah to look for Mohammad Kamal.

Musa has admitted that Mohammad Kamal is a “distant relative” but denied that he had interfered in the Filipino’s repatriation.

“I have a large family and I have just recently been informed that this individual is a distant relative,” he was reported as saying in a statement on Sunday, adding that he learned about Mohamad Kamal “through the news”.

“Let me make it very clear that the Sabah state government did not and will not intervene in this matter. This is a police and Interpol matter…

“Whether or not Amalilio (Mohamad Kamal) is a relative, the authorities should investigate the matter and take the necessary action. No one is above the law,” he said, while expressing hopes that Malaysian and Filipino authorities would cooperate to resolve the matter quickly.

The Philippines media reported its Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as accusing Musa of blocking the extradition Mohammad Kamal while Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the accused was whisked away by the Malaysian authorities 10 minutes before he was to board a flight to the Philippines.