Chartered accountant Andrew Heng denied hat the report he prepared with regard to Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib's assets wis biased.

Heng, who was hired by Bekir's former wife Shahnaz A Hamid, told the syariah court in Kuala Lumpur that the evaluation of Bekir's assets was gained from company reports, financial statements, company searches, Land Office searches and other documents in the public domain.

Replying to questions from Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar during cross-examination, Heng said he also obtained information from Shahnaz in preparing the report.

Zainur Rijal: How many times did you meet the plaintiff (Shahnaz) before preparing the report?

Heng: I cannot remember, between five and 10 times.

Zainul Rijal: Did her lawyers meet you?

Heng: Yes. But not more than three times.

Zainul Rijal: I put it to you that the report you prepared is biased as you did not ask information from the defendant (Bekir) or his lawyers?

Heng: I do not agree that the report I prepared is biased as the search is in the public domain.

Zainul: Why did you not check with the defendant?

Heng: I have no access.

Heng is the second witness to testify in Shahnaz's mutaah (gift) claim of RM100 million following the couple's divorce in 2011.

During the last session, Heng said Bekir's assets are close to RM1.4 billion . Bekir is the son of Sarawak governor Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Heng, a partner with Ferrer Hodgson MH Sdn Bhd, is the second witness to testify in Shahnaz’s mutaah (gift) claim of RM100 million following the couple’s divorce in 2011. At the last session, Heng said Bekir’s assets were close to RM1.4 billion.

He testified that he was appointed by Shahnaz as an independent adviser to prepare the report.

‘Not a registered valuer’

When quizzed further by Zainul Rijal on whether the firm he worked in is a registered valuer, Heng admitted that he is not a registered valuer but defended his report as correct.

To another question from Bekir’s counsel, Heng replied that his evaluation on the land could involve some mistakes with the land calculation.

Asked further on the report he prepared, Heng admitted that the report could not be produced in its entirety without his firm’s authorisation, but when told by Zainul Rijal the media had reported his testimony, the chartered accountant defended that this was based on court proceedings and his firm never handed over a copy of the report to the media.

Shahnaz’s counsel, Akbardin Abdul Kader, in objecting to the question said it was obvious the media in the public gallery can report on what goes on in a trial.

The proceeding continued with Zainul Rijal asking why the copy handed to the defence does not have the signature of Heng’s partner, to which Akbardin said this could be an oversight by the lawyers as their copy and the judge’s copy have all the necessary signatures, including that of the partner.

Following this, syariah judge Mohamad Abdul Karim Wahab ordered Shahnaz’s lawyers to give the proper copies to the defence.

Mohamad Abdul Karim also fixed for the trial to resume on April 30, saying he had an emergency matter to attend to.