KOTA KINABALU, Oct. 27 -- The Sabah Native Court of Appeal has overturned an earlier decision by the Papar Native Court ordering a senior state civil servant to pay sogit - three buffaloes and RM3,000 - for mianu-anu (enticing another man's wife), citing serious procedural flaws and lack of sufficient evidence.

The appellate panel ruled that the proceedings in the lower courts were "irregular and incompetent", and ordered that both the Papar Native Court and District Native Court of Papar decisions be set aside.

The case stemmed from a 2024 complaint by Datuk Claudius Roman, a former deputy secretary of the state and president of the Sabah Council of Datuks against Datuk Robert Stidi, 57, a senior civil servant, accusing him of "interfe...