EX-CEO OF FELDA FIRM LOSES HIS COOL

Witness raises voice when lawyer tries to insinuate that it was he who blamed Isa

THERE was drama at the trial of former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad yesterday.

This was after a witness, who was allegedly implicated in Isa’s purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites, got involved in a verbal exchange with Isa’s lawyer, Datuk Salehuddin Saidin.

Salehuddin was having a field day grilling former Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FICSB) chief executive officer Mohd Zaid Abdul Jalil.

Things began heating up when Salehuddin contended that it was Zaid who had an interest in buying the hotel in Kuching, Sarawak. But instead, he blamed Isa. To this accusation, Zaid replied, “I do not agree” in a raised voice.

Salehuddin: When you were pressured by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission and were shown these (documents and minutes related to Merdeka Palace hotel purchase), there was no way out for you to save your neck, so you implicated Isa.

Zaid: I do not agree (raising his voice). Salehuddin: Do not shout. Zaid: I am just making myself clear because you have asked me this many times.

The other contentions made by Salehuddin was that the witness intentionally passed the blame to other individuals, including FICSB board of directors and the company’s external secretary.

Earlier, Zaid had told the High Court that he disagreed with the proposal to buy Merdeka Palace Hotel, which Felda bought at RM160 million.

He, nevertheless, did not voice out his disagreement in the 10th FICSB board meeting on April 29, 2014.

“In the meeting, the board took note of the vote of the majority, who agreed to the hotel purchase, but this was not recorded in the minutes by the FICSB secretary.”

He disagreed with the counsel’s suggestion that he had blamed other individuals to cover up his mistake of not voicing out his disagreement on the purchase.

Trial continues before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali on Monday.

On Dec 14 last year, Isa pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust by approving the purchase of Merdeka Palace & Suites Hotel without approval from Felda board of directors on April 29, 2014.

The former Umno vice-president also faces nine counts of receiving more than RM3 million in bribes from Gegasan Abadi Sdn Bhd director Ikhwan Zaidel between July 2014 and December 2015.