KOTA KINABALU, Nov 25 — Sabah authorities will soon wrap up their investigations into a controversial dinner involving Umno leaders where a dish of turtle eggs appeared on the table, state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said.
All that’s left for the authorities is to deal with the new witness statements, he added, after new close-up photos showing fragments of turtle eggs shells on the table in front of the Umno leaders provided new leads for the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) to widen the scope of its investigations.
“The photos have given us a new insight into the incident, and we can probably wrap up soon,” Masidi told Malay Mail Online when met at the state assembly building yesterday.
He said that it was important to ensure that the investigations was done right and not bow to public pressure, when asked why the investigation was still ongoing despite the issue being raised nearly three weeks ago.
“We want to make sure the investigation is of quality and not just playing to the gallery. People just have to be patient,” he added.
SWD director William Baya when contacted, said that investigations had yet to be completed, and declined to speak further on the issue.
Turtles and its products are a totally protected species under Sabah’s Wildlife Conservation Enactment and Section 41 of enactment states it is an offence to possess these animals or its products.
Offenders can be fined RM50,000 or jailed five years, or both, upon conviction.
Masidi disclosed today that authorities believe the eggs to be smuggled in from the Philippines.
He had previously said that the eggs were likely to have been taken into the restaurant by “outsiders”.
On November 4, a photograph showing Rural and Regional Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Beluran Umno division chief Datuk James Ratib and Sandakan municipal council deputy president Mohd Hamsan Awang Supain among five other men seated at a restaurant with turtle eggs and lobsters placed on the “Lazy Susan” in front of them spread online.
Last week, four more photos were posted on the Walai Penyu Resort Libaran Facebook page late yesterday evening by an Internet user who goes by the moniker “Deadturtles Sabah” with close ups of some of the Umno leaders showing fragments of turtle eggshells on the table directly in front of them.
The photo was believed to be taken during the Umno Beluran division meeting dinner in August at Restoran Indah Keranamu, in Sandakan.
Ismail Sabri has denied eating the turtle eggs on doctor’s orders due to his high cholesterol level and threatened to sue those who implicated him.
