Former Perak exco corruption case postponed (Updated)

(Updated 3:52pm; 10 Feb 2009)

IPOH, 10 Feb 2009:The hearing of the corruption case involving two former Perak executive council (exco) members and three others scheduled for three days from today was postponed to 15 June.

It had to be postponed as Sessions Court judge Tan Hooi Leng who is to hear the case, is attending a seminar here until tomorrow.

Magistrate Sharmila Abdul Samad sat in for the case, but the two former state exco members, Capt (Rtd) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi were not present as they were said to be unwell.

Sharmila, however, issued a warrant of arrest for Changkat Jering assemblyperson Mohd Osman as he failed to provide a medical-leave chit from the hospital and fixed 13 April for re-mention of the warrant of arrest case.

Earlier, Mohd Osman’s younger sister, Noriza Jailu who stood as his bailor, informed the court that Mohd Osman could not attend the court hearing as he had been warded at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital last night due to a heart problem.

“We have not got the MC as the doctor is still observing him,” explained Noriza.

But deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Jazamuddin Ahmad Nawawi said: “The accused should know about the hearing today. If he had been warded at the hospital and informed the doctor about today’s court hearing, the hospital would surely issue him a sick-leave chit. We are asking for a warrant of arrest be issued (on the accused).”

The court, however, did not issue a warrant of arrest on Jamaluddin, the assemblyperson for Behrang, after his lawyer Abdul Roni Rahman informed that his client was unwell, and submitted a sick-leave chit to the court.

A warrant of arrest was also issued on another accused in the corruption case, businessman Usaili Alias, for failing to attend court but the order was cancelled after he turned up about an hour later.

Usaili explained to the court that he had thought the case would be mentioned in the afternoon as Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin would be attending the swearing-in ceremony for the new Perak exco members this morning.

Mohd Osman, Jamaluddin, Usaili and two others, Perak State Development Corporation technician Ruslan Sahat and former Perak Tengah District Council member Zul Hassan face 16 counts of accepting and asking for bribes over the RM180 million development project in Seri Iskandar, near here.

They are alleged to have committed the offence at the office of the Perak State Secretary, at Restoran Kluang Station Cafe in Medan Istana, Bandar Ipoh Raya here, and at Aquarias Restaurant & Bar, Level 4, Summit Hotel, Bukit Mertajam, Penang between 14 and 19 Aug last year.

Zul is also alleged to have received a bribe in the form of a woman for the purpose of having sex. The offence was committed at 8.10pm on 14 Aug last year at the Sri Sayang Apartment in Penang.

In today’s proceeding, counsel Mohd Asri Othman informed the court that he wished to withdraw from representing Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin as he had not received any instruction from the two.

Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin are now represented by Abdul Roni, while Usaili, Ruslan and Zul are still represented by Mohd Asri. — Bernama