KUALA LUMPUR – Former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad has been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and fined RM15.45 million after being found guilty on nine corruption charges involving RM3 million related to the agency’s purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching, Sarawak.
He was sentenced to six years’ jail for each offence, and will serve them concurrently.
The prison sentence can be extended by another 18 years if Isa fails to pay the fine.
The court allowed Isa’s application to suspend the jail term and fine, enabling his appeal to be filed at the Court of Appeal.
Isa was this morning found guilty on all nine charges in his corruption trial.
Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali started delivering his judgment at 9.50am.
In his ruling, Nazlan said “the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt”.
The defence only denied the charges, he said, and failed to raise reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.
Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz requested that the court sentence Isa to 12 years in prison due to the “seriousness of the nature of the crime committed”.
Isa, 71, was charged with nine counts of dishonestly receiving gratification for himself, in the form of cash totalling RM3.09 million, from Ikhwan Zaidel, a board member of Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd, through his former special political officer, Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, for helping approve the purchase of the hotel by Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd at a price tag of RM160 million.
The offences were committed on Level 49 of Menara Felda in Platinum Park here between July 21, 2014 and December 11, 2015.
The charges are under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law, which provides a jail term not exceeding 20 years and a fine of at least five times the bribe amount, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The prosecution is led by Afzainizam, while lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin heads the defence. – The Vibes, February 3, 2021
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