KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Feb 2009: The prosecution in Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam’s corruption hearing wrapped-up its case in the High Court here today after calling 31 witnesses since it was first heard in early 2007.
Justice Suraya Othman fixed three days, from 28 April, for submissions by the prosecution and defence in the case.
Among witnesses called to testify were former Sabah Resource Development and Enterprise Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and former Commerce International Merchant Bankers Bhd chief operating officer Tan Sri Munir Majid.
Kasitah, a former Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister, as well as the former chairperson of the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) is charged with using his position as SLDB chair for his financial gain by taking part in the decision to approve the sale of 16.8 million Sapi Plantations shares held by the board to Briskmark Enterprise.
He is also alleged to have deceived SLDB by omitting to disclose an offer by PPB Oil Palm Sdn Bhd to allocate five shares of the company for each share of Sapi Plantations in the proposed public listing.
Earlier, Investigating Officer Kasim Othman, the last prosecution witness called to testify, told the court that he did not know of an agreement between Datuk Wasli Mohd Said, a former director of Briskmark Enterprise, and the prosecution to review all charges made against Wasli if he agreed to be a witness in Kasitah’s case.
Wasli has also been charged with corruption in the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court in connection with the case.
Kasim said he also did not know that a representation had been made to the Attorney-General’s office by Wasli’s lawyer asking to drop two charges in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, five other corruption charges in Kota Kinabalu as well as 95 charges under the Money Laundering Act involving RM23.6 million.
“I only knew about the representation when Wasli testified in this court on 19 June last year,” he said when cross-examined by defence counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Kasim, 51, who is now the Malaysian Anti-Corruption deputy director, also said he did not know about a police report lodged by Wasli on 20 Dec 1999 against the Anti-Corruption Agency that he (Wasli) was ill-treated by the ACA officers when being detained for investigations. — Bernama
