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KUALA LUMPUR: The corruption trial of former Felda chairman Isa Samad heard today that his former aide had collected RM2 million as a “gratitude” payment after a Felda subsidiary bought a hotel in Kuching.
Boxing coach Mohamad Jani Ismail said that Muhammad Zahid Mat Arip, who was a special officer for Isa, had informed him that the money was given to him as a thank you for being the link between the buyer and the seller of the property.
Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Felda, purchased the Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites from Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd for RM160 million in 2014.
The defense witness said that he told Zahid in 2018 that he (Zahid) should be rich, as at that time he was the political secretary of the then prime minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
He said Zahid responded that he had previously received RM2 million as a thank you for being the link between buyer and seller in the 2014 sale of the Kuching hotel.
Jani said that she had asked Zahid if Isa knew about this matter and that Zahid had answered in the negative.
Zahid served as Isa’s special officer from 2011 to 2016. He was appointed Mahathir’s political secretary shortly after the May 2018 general election and remained so until the 22-month-old government of Pakatan Harapan collapsed.
Jani said the revelation took place at a hotel in Putrajaya on June 8, 2018, when he and his friend Dahalan Tunggal met Zahid about an investment proposal from a Japanese company.
“We were waiting for the Japanese to arrive and we left the room to smoke. That’s when I asked Zahid the question, ”he said.
Jani, in her witness statement, said that she was testifying in court because the truth must be known and the relationship between Zahid and Isa has been widely reported on social media.
The witness said that as a boxing coach in the armed forces, he had known Isa since 1994, when Isa became president of the Malaysian Boxing Federation.
“I have always visited the defendant in his office at Felda headquarters to discuss boxing matters,” he added.
Questioned by Deputy Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, Jani said that he had informed Isa about what Zahid had told him at the meeting at the hotel.
However, he said that Isa declared himself ignorant but did not advise him to submit a report to the police or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Jani disagreed with Afzainizam’s suggestion that she was making up a story and that Zahid had, in fact, not told her about receiving RM2 million.
He also denied that he was testifying for Isa, as they were good friends.
Isa was ordered to appear in his defense on nine corruption charges for receiving more than RM3 million in bribes for approving the hotel purchase in 2014.
The defense, led by Salehuddin Saidin, closed its case today after calling six witnesses.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then ordered the defense and the prosecution to submit their written submissions on October 2.
He also set November 4 to hear oral presentations.
