The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court will resume hearing former Perwaja Steel's managing director Eric Chia criminal breach of trust case on Feb 15 - 18 with a new witness who had allegedly complained against the business tycoon to the Finance Ministry.

DPP Tun Abdul Majid Hamzah told the court that the prosecution will be calling former Perwaja director Nik Affandi Nik Yusoff to the witness stand.

He also informed the court that the prosecution will take some time questioning Nik Affandi, who was put in the Perwaja board of director by the ministry.

Yesterday, when lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was questioning former Perwaja director Zubir Embong the court was informed of a letter allegedly written by Nik Affandi to the then Finance Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, making "unsubstantial allegations" against Chia.

Chia had exposed the letter in the company's 30th board meeting in 1995 heavily critising Nik Affandi for his act.

The board had then unanimously expressed its regret and disappointment that Nik Affandi had chosen to write directly to the minister without substantiating the allegations to the board or Chia himself.

Disloyal to company

The board had also condemned Nik Affandi's act as it "tantamounts to disloyalty to the company and grievous failure to perform his director's duties" and that he (Nik Affandi) was not in the position to make correct assessments on Perwaja.

Chia's defence team had raised the issue in support of the claim of conspiracy - allegedly involving Anwar- to oust Chia from Perwaja.

The court however barred the defence to continue with the line of questioning stating that Anwar's role in the alleged conspiracy is irrelevant.

Chia is charged with making an unauthorised payment of RM76.4 million to a Japanese company NKK Corporation on Feb 22, 1994 via the accounts of Frilsham Enterprises Incorporated, a Hong Kong-based company.

Chia also faces an alternative charge of illegally entering into an agreement with NKK to dispose the RM76.4 million without the approval from Perwaja's board of directors.

He is charged under section 409 of the Penal Code which carries the maximum penalty of 20 years jail.