Hobalan N. Vello @ Jimmy Black is wanted by the police.
KOTA KINABALU: Police are looking for two suspects who were involved in a drunken brawl at a restaurant in Beaufort on December 18, which subsequently resulted in the death of a local man four days later.
State Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said police believed the main suspect, identified as Hobalan N. Vello @ Jimmy Black, may have fled the state to Sarawak with another suspect, identified as Kesawan a/l Perambalan.
Police have since detained eight people, including two women, one of which is Jimmy Black’s wife, to facilitate police investigation.
Hazani said the incident happened around 11.30pm on Dec 18, when four men had gone to Jimmy’s restaurant to buy alcohol.
Based on police report, he said all four men were intoxicated after attending a wedding reception not far from the restaurant.
He said Jimmy confronted the four men when one of them had apparently started a quarrel with a customer.
”The drunk men then left the restaurant but threatened to come back with more friends.
“Jimmy’s friend, who saw the commotion, then left to lodge a police report at the Beaufort police station the same day.
“While the friend was lodging a police report, he received a telephone call from Jimmy telling him that the drunken men had returned,” said Hazani.
Police then rushed to the restaurant and upon reaching the location, saw several people were fighting inside and outside of the restaurant.
Police managed to stop the fight and detained all those involved.
Hazani however said one of the men involved in the brawl succumbed to his injuries on Dec 22, while being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The deceased is believed to be in his mid 50s from Kampung Melalugus, Beaufort.
Hazani said police were currently looking for Jimmy, the main suspect in this case, and his friend to facilitate investigation.
Meanwhile, Hazani said various social media groups including Facebook and WhatsApp are sharing unverified information about the incident, with some claiming that this is a work of gangsterism while others are claiming it was due to racial.
“I like to stress here that there is no gangsterism in Sabah, only small-time local thugs who act uncontrollably when they are either high on drugs or alcohol,” he said.
Hazani added that based on statements from the arrested suspects, those who were friends of the deceased admitted to police that all of them were drunk during the incident, contrary to what had been circulating in social media saying that the deceased was sober and only trying to break the fight when he was slashed.
Hazani also denied that the police were offering RM10,000 to anyone who can bring in Jimmy with regards to the case, as there is no such offer.
Asked about the background of Jimmy, Hazani said the former used to belong to a gang in Klang more than 10 years ago but was arrested in Keningau and placed on police watch prior to 2008.
“He was out of police watch after 2008, and had settled down in Beaufort, married and started a business,” he said.
Hazani therefore urged local communities in Beaufort and Sabah to keep calm, to stop spreading rumours with regards to this case, to follow the rule of law and to let police do their job in regards to the case.
“Do not take the law into your own hands but let us know if you have any information of his whereabouts,” he said, adding police were also monitoring social media for provocative messages.
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