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KUALA LUMPUR: Former Felda chairman Isa Samad will find out on Wednesday his fate in the RM3 million corruption case over the agency’s purchase of a hotel in Kuching six years ago.
High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is scheduled to deliver his verdict after hearing oral presentations from the defense and the prosecution on December 24.
The 71-year-old man’s trial began on October 7, 2019, and the prosecution called 15 witnesses and the defense called six.
On June 16, Nazlan ordered Isa to come to his defense on nine counts of corruption, but acquitted him of one count of criminal breach of trust.
On the corruption charges, Isa, who is also the oldest Negeri Sembilan menteri besar (1982-2004) and federal minister, is accused of receiving RM3.09 million in bribes for approving the purchase of the Merdeka Palace Hotel.
Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd paid RM160 million in 2014 for the purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching, Sarawak, which was reportedly at least 50% higher than the property’s actual value.
He was charged under Section 16 (a) (A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and, if convicted, can be imprisoned for up to 20 years and fined five times the amount of bonus.
Lawyer Salehuddin Saidin had alleged that the defense rebutted the presumption under Section 50 of the Act that the RM3 million Isa allegedly received were corrupt money.
He said Isa had denied receiving the money and underwent cross-examination by the prosecution. Five other witnesses testified to support Isa’s claim.
The lawyer said that Muhammad Zahid Mat Arip, who was Isa’s special officer and prosecution witness, had collected the money nine times from Ikhwan Zaidel, the then director of Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd, who owns the hotel.
Additionally, he said that Isa’s former secretary, Zuraida Ariffin @ Shaari, told the court that she never saw Zahid carry a paper bag to Isa’s office.
The lawyer said her evidence was supported by the testimony of Isa’s special officer, Kamar Bashah Shariff, as both would always be in the defendant’s office.
Deputy Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz said the money was handed over to Isa in the absence of Zuraida and Bashah.
“It was done discreetly,” he said, adding that Zahid was the conduit between the defendant and Ikhwan.
Afzainizam said that the task of the prosecution was to show that Isa received the money with corrupt intent and not where he kept it and what it was used for.
