ISA SAMAD’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Isa faces at least 7 charges over FIC’s purchase of Kuching hotel allegedly above market value
THE former Felda supremo is expected to face at least seven charges today in relation to the 2014 purchase of a hotel in Kuching by Felda Investment Corporation. The charges include receiving gratification through an agent to approve the deal.
TAN Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is expected to face multiple charges in the Sessions Court here today over the purchase of a hotel in Kuching by Felda Investment Corporation (FIC).
Sources close to the investigations told the New Straits Times that the former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and FIC chairman was expected to answer to at least seven charges over the deal.
The first charge is over the purchase of the Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites at RM160 million without the approval of the Felda board of directors.
The remaining charges, sources said, would be over gratifications through an agent to approve the purchase.
A source said the amount involved throughout the “negotiations” amounted to about RM3 million.
“He received the payments over a period of time, which amounted to more or less RM3 million. This was for Isa to approve the hotel purchase,” the source said.
Earlier, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), in a statement, said it had obtained the goahead from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) to proceed with the case. Isa will be charged at 9am. MACC said Isa had presented himself at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 10.48am yesterday to sign a pledge to agree to attend the proceedings in court.
He was accompanied by his wife, Puan Sri Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid. They left 20 minutes later.
Isa’s lawyer, Datuk K. Kumaraendran, said Isa had put down his signature, assuring the graft-buster that he would be present at court at 9am, but declined to confirm details of the case.
“(Isa) is here to give his assurance that he will be at the court tomorrow (today) where he will be formally charged for offences under the MACC Act (2009),” Kumaraendran said.
The NST reported last month that MACC was expected to charge Isa over the purchase of a hotel in Kuching in 2014.
It was reported that an investigation paper was being completed by the commission over the Merdeka Palace Hotel purchase, which was reported to have exceeded the market value at the time of purchase.
The hotel is a five-star hotel with 213 rooms, bought by FIC for RM160 million when it was supposedly worth RM110 million.
Isa, who is former Negri Sembilan menteri besar and Umno vice-president, had led Felda since 2011.