IPOH, 19 Feb 2009: The Sessions Court here today cancelled the arrest warrant issued against former Perak executive councillor Capt (R) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu for not turning up for his RM180 million corruption case last week.
According to Bernama, judge Azhanis Teh Azman Teh cancelled the warrant after Mohd Osman’s counsel, Abdul Roni Rahman, submitted Mohd Osman’s medical certificate for 9 to 12 Feb, issued by a medical officer at Selayang Hospital’s coronary intensive care unit.
Mohd Osman, the assemblyperson for Changkat Jering, and former executive councillor Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, the assemblyperson for Behrang, are among the five accused in the case.
It was announced on 4 Feb that Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin had left Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and Jelapang assemblyperson Hee Yit Foong had left the DAP, to become Barisan Nasional (BN)-friendly independents in the Perak legislative assembly. The BN then claimed to have the majority support in the state assembly and received Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah’s consent to form the new state government.
Mohd Osman did not show up at the hearing of the corruption case on 10 Feb, prompting magistrate Sharmila Abdul Samad to issue the arrest warrant against him for failing to submit a medical certificate to explain his absence that day.
His sister, Noriza Jailu, who was his bailor, had told the court he had been admitted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur for heart problem but could not furnish the medical certificate because he was still under observation, Bernama reports.
Mohd Osman, Jamaluddin and three others — Usaili Alias, Perak Development Corporation technician Ruslan Sahat and former Perak Tengah district councillor Zul Hassan — face 16 counts of soliciting and receiving bribes in connection with a RM180 million development project in Iskandar near here.
They are alleged to have committed the offences at the state secretary’s office and Kluang Station Cafe in Medan Istana, Bandar Ipoh Raya, and Aquarias Restaurant & Bar, Summit Hotel, Bukit Mertajam, Penang, between 14 and 19 Aug 2008.
Zul is also charged with corruptly accepting sexual favours from a woman at Sri Sayang Apartment in Penang at 8.10pm on 14 Aug 2008.
The court fixed 15 and 16 June for trial.
