KUALA LUMPUR: Former Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister, Datuk Peter Anthony has been ordered by the Sessions Court to enter his defence on a charge of using false documents relating to a system maintenance contract, seven years ago.
Sessions judge Azura Alwi made the order today after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against the accused.
"After considering the evidence by prosecution witnesses, the written submissions and authorities filed, the court is satisfied that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case on the charge faced by the accused.
"Therefore, the accused is ordered enter his defence on the charge under Section 468 of the Penal Code," she said.
Azura has fixed five days for Anthony to enter his defence beginning Jan 3, next year.
Anthony had chosen to testify under oath.
His lawyer Munawar Kabir Mohd Zainal Abidin said a total of seven witnesses will be called for the trial at the defence stage.
"So far seven witnesses will be called and this includes the witnesses offered by the prosecution," he said.
The prosecution rested their case on Sept 21 after calling a total of 15 witnesses in the trial which began on April 5, this year.
Among the witnesses who testified in the trial were former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, former chief justice Tun Zaki Tun Azmi and former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin conducted the prosecution.
In July last year, Anthony, 50, as the managing director of Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd with forging a letter from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) deputy vice-chancellor's office dated June 9, 2014, by inserting a false statement in the title of the letter with the intention of using it to deceive the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
The document was in regards to a purported collaboration with UMS to fund and set up an M&E technical training centre via direct negotiation in July 2014.
He was alleged with committing the offence at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya between June 13, 2014, and Aug 21, 2014.
The charge framed under Section 468 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine, if convicted.
The Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president was also charged with an alternative count of using a false document as genuine, namely a letter from the office of the deputy vice-chancellor of UMS dated June 9, 2014, which had a false statement in the title of the letter, and he had reason to believe that the document is false, at the same place and time.
The charge under Section 471 of the same Act, is punishable under Section 465 of the same law, which carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both, if convicted.