Former Anti-Corruption Agency Sabah chief Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan has been described as an "insane person" and that his action was liken to a "runaway train" during a court hearing today.

"Ramli ( right ) was acting like a runaway train and it was as though his statement was made by an insane person," Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, counsel for former land and cooperative minister Kasitah Gaddam, told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today

He told the court - which is hearing corruption charges against Kasitah - that Ramli's interview by online daily malaysiakini was completely out of order and that his remarks were highly serious.

According to Bernama , Shafee said that he had been instructed by Kasitah to look into all articles carried by the news portal before proceeding further on the matter. He mentioned another website, Malaysia Today , has also carried similar remarks by Ramli.

The defence counsel said that Kasitah was contemplating to apply for leave to initiate contempt proceedings against the former top ACA official for his comments, which he considers to be highly prejudicial to the on-going trial.

Judicial commissioner Suraya Othman advised Shafee to investigate the matter further before establising a need to cite Ramli.

"Probably the counsel can find other avenues like taking civil action where you can obtain a gag order against Ramli."

Chief investigator

In the exclusive two-part interview by malaysiakini last week, Ramli said that as the then Sabah ACA chief, he headed the investigation against Kasitah.

He also told malaysiakini that soon after he had completed the probe he was put in "cold storage" at the agency, which he blamed it on the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Kasitah, 60, who is alleged to have used his position as Sabah Land Development Board chairman to approve a proposal for the sale of 16.8 million shares held by the board to Briskmark Sdn Bhd.

He is also alleged to have deceived the SLDB by omitting to disclose the offer by PPB Palms Sdn Bhd to allocate five shares of the company for each share of Sapi Plantations in the proposal by PPB Oil Palms for the listing on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

The court hearing will continue tomorrow.