Isa charged over RM3m kickbacks in Felda hotel deal
Former Felda chairperson Isa Samad was today charged at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur with one count of criminal breach of trust and nine counts of accepting kickbacks worth more than RM3 million.
This is in relation to Felda's purchase of its hotel in Kuching...
Former Felda chairperson Isa Samad was today charged at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur with one count of criminal breach of trust and nine counts of accepting kickbacks worth more than RM3 million.
This is in relation to Felda's purchase of its hotel in Kuching.
The CBT charge is under Section 409 of the Penal Code, while the graft charges are under Section 16 of the MACC Act which is punishable under Section 24 of the same Act.
Isa, formerly a longtime Negeri Sembilan menteri besar, is charged with CBT with regard to the purchase of the Merdeka Hotel & Suites in Kuching for RM160 million without the approval from the Felda board of directors.
He is alleged to have committed the offence as a director of Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd.
Besides this, Isa is charged with nine counts of receiving kickbacks from Syarikat Gagasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd director Ikhwan Zaidel through Muhammad Zahid Md Arip for his approval to purchase the hotel.
These transactions took place at Menara Felda KLCC where he received:
- RM100,000 between July 21, 2014 and July 28, 2014.
- RM140,000 between July 21, 2014 and July 28, 2014
- RM300,00 between July 17, 2014 and July 24, 2014.
- RM250,000 between Nov 15, 2014 and Nov 22, 2014.
- RM500,000 between June 25, 2015 and June 27, 2015.
- RM500,000 between July 9, 2015 and July 11, 2015.
- RM300,000 between Aug 20, 2015 and Aug 27, 2015
- RM500,000 between Sept 12, 2015 and Sept 14, 2015
- RM500,000 between Dec 4, 2015 and Dec 11, 2015.
He claimed trial before Sessions judge Azura Alwi and was represented by lawyers K Kumaraendran, Ridha Abdah Subri and Lavinia Kumaraendran.
DPP Umar Saifuddin Jaafar asked for bail to be set at RM2 million and that Isa surrender his passport.
However, Kumaraendran said that his client is not a flight risk as following his arrest by the MACC last year, he had informed the authorities when he was going to London twice as well as before he went to perform the umrah.
The lawyer added that his client had also cooperated with the authorities and has remarried after his wife passed away in 2005 and has four children.
Ridha also informed the court that Isa recently contested in the Port Dickson by-election.
The judge set bail at RM800,000 with one surety and ordered Isa to surrender his international passport. The next mention date for the case is Jan 25.
Kumaraendran asked for payment be made via instalments but Azura ordered that the entire amount be paid today.
Isa left court at 12.10pm with his wife Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid.
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