THE Federal Court yesterday scheduled February 10 for its decision on the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of former FELDA chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, who was cleared of nine corruption charges relating to the RM3 million Merdeka Palace Hotel Suites purchase in Kuching, Sarawak.
Mohd Isa, 77, was previously discharged by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal on March 6 last year, which allowed his appeal to overturn a six-year jail term and a RM15.45 million fine imposed by the High Court following his conviction on the charges.
Presiding over yesterday’s Federal Court proceedings, Justice Datuk Nordin Hassan, sitting alongside Justices Datuk Lee Swee Seng and Datuk Che Muhd Ruzima Ghazali, explained that the panel required time to review the arguments presented by both the prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, and Mohd Isa’s counsel, M Athimulan, before issuing a final judgment.
The prosecution had filed a notice of appeal on March 7 last year, seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision and reinstate the High Court’s conviction of Mohd Isa.
The case has drawn significant attention, reflecting the judiciary’s handling of high-profile corruption allegations involving senior public officials, with the Federal Court’s upcoming ruling expected to bring finality to nearly a year of appellate proceedings. - February 5, 2026
