KUALA LUMPUR: Former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Tan Sri Isa Samad will file a representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) soon with regards to criminal breach of trust (CBT) charge involving over RM3 million.
Counsel Datuk Salehuddin Saidin said his client wanted to proceed with the representation letter, to have the prosecution to either drop or reduce the charge.
Earlier, Salehuddin told the court that Isa had recently appointed him and his colleague Afifuddin Afifi to represent him.
“We are taking over from the previous lawyers Ridha Abdah Subri and L. Kumaraendran,” he said during the case management at the High Court today.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Afzainizam Abdul Aziz told the court that he and his team were taking over the case from the previous DPP Umar Saifuddin Jaafar.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said he noted both changes in the prosecution and defence teams.
He also ordered the prosecution to submit all documents for the hearing and witness statements to the defence team before Sept 20.
Nazlan fixed Sept 23 for next case management to ensure compliance of all this, as the trial had been fixed on Oct 7-9, 14-18, and 21-25.
“I will fix a new date if we cannot finish the hearing after Oct 25,” he said.
On Dec 4, Isa pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and nine counts of graft involving more than RM3 million.
The former Umno vice-president allegedly committed CBT by approving the purchase of the Merdeka Palace & Suites Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak, without the approval of the Felda board of directors on April 29, 2014.
The offence falls under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of between two and 20 years, whipping and a possible fine upon conviction.
For the second to 10th counts, Isa was charged with receiving bribes of RM100,000, RM140,000, RM300,000, RM250,000, RM500,000, RM500,000, RM300,000, 500,000, and RM500,000 (totalling RM3,090,000) from Gagasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd director Ikhwan Zaidel between July 2014 and Dec 2015.
He allegedly committed the offences at Level 49, Menara Felda, Platinum Park, No. 11, Persiaran KLCC, here.
Isa was charged under Section 16(a) A of the MACC Act, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the value of the bribe for each charge, upon conviction.
He is currently on RM800,000 bail.