KOTA KINABALU: A senior state civil servant has been slapped with a fine of three buffaloes and RM3,000 by the native court in Sabah for enticing the wife of Datuk Claudius Roman, president of the Council of Sabah Datuks.
Papar District Native Court chief OKK Alexander Malianus ordered Datuk Robert Stidi, 57, to pay the sogit (native fine) to Claudius, a 76-year-old former state civil servant, within a month from Wednesday.
Claudius had accused the defendant of “interfering” with his wife and filed a case against him on Aug 29, alleging that the defendant had enticed his 34-year-old wife.
“The court found the defendant guilty of violating the customs of the Kadazandusun people in Papar,” Malianus said in reading the judgment after conferring with fellow native court judges.He said any party who is dissatisfied with the judgment could appeal to the District Native Court within 60 days from the date of the court decision.
The defendant was not present at the court on Wednesday to answer the charges filed under Part III Section 8(1) of the Papar District Kadazandusun Race Customary Tradition.
He also did not attend the first hearing on Oct 4.
Malianus said the defendant, as a senior civil servant, had failed to give a reasonable explanation for his absence from the hearing.
He said the failure to be present at the native court hearing was an offence under Section 25 of the Native Court Enactment 1992, and those found guilty could be fined RM200 or two years’ jail, or both.
He said the court would also take action against the defendant for not appearing at the hearing.
According to Malianus, the plaintiff had submitted two pages of complaints, 10 photographs and screenshots of WhatsApp messages between Jan 24 and March 2, as well as call records as evidence that there was enticement.
The plaintiff had also provided a document to claim there was a booking at Deluxe Rail Suite Aeropod from May 31 to June 1.
Malianus added that the defendant had submitted a two-page undated letter that was handed over on Aug 28, but did not disclose its contents.
Following the court decision, the plaintiff said the incident served as a reminder for other Kadazandusun couples to uphold the sanctity of marriage.
