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KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The High Court will rule whether former Felda President Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad will be acquitted or convicted of nine corruption charges related to RM3mil, for the purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites (MPHS) in Kuching, February 3.
High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali set the date after hearing the presentation from both parties at the end of the defense case on Thursday (December 24).
Thanking both parties for their presentations, he said that he would give his decision on the matter at 9.30am on February 3.
Deputy Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz was prosecuted in the case, while the defense team was led by lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin.
The hearing in the case began on October 8 last year and the prosecution called 22 witnesses to testify, including former Felda CEO Datuk Hanapi Suhada.
Also called to testify were former Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FIC) CEO Mohd Zaid Abdul Jalil and former Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd board member Ikhwan Zaidel.
On September 3, the defense closed its case after calling six witnesses to testify, with Isa called as the first witness.
Other witnesses called to testify were Isa’s former secretary, Zuraida Ariffin @ Shaari, and former special officer Kamar Bashah Shariff.
Isa was charged with nine counts of dishonestly receiving gratuity for himself, in cash totaling RM3,090,000 from Ikhwan, who is a board member of Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd, through one Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, as Bonus for helping to approve the purchase of the hotel for FIC for RM160 thousand.
All of the crimes were allegedly committed at Level 49, Menara Felda, Platinum Park, No. 11, Persiaran KLCC near here between July 21, 2014 and December 11, 2015.
All charges were framed under Section 16a (A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24 (1) of the same act, which establishes a prison sentence that does not exceeds 20 years and a fine of at least five times the amount of the bribe, or 10,000 ringgit, whichever is greater, at the time of conviction.
On June 16, the High Court ordered Isa, who is also the former Negri Sembilan mentri besar, to file his defense on all nine charges after concluding that the prosecution had succeeded in creating a prima facie case against him.
However, the court released him and cleared him of one count of criminal breach of trust (CBT) in connection with the hotel purchase after finding that the prosecution had not proven prima facie in the case. – Bernama
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