Kuala lumpur: The Federal Court has scheduled October 29 for the hearing of the prosecution's appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision to acquit Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, the former Felda chairman, of corruption charges.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Isa, 75, was acquitted of nine charges of corruption related to RM3 million in bribes connected to the acquisition of Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites in Kuching, Sarawak. Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz noted that the hearing date was set during an online case management session by deputy registrar Wan Fatimah Zaharah Wan Yussof.
Afzainizam stated that all parties involved are required to submit their written arguments two weeks prior to the appeal hearing. On the defense side, Mohd Isa's lawyer, Siti Sarah Khalil, mentioned that the court has instructed the parties to file their submissions by October 14, with a subsequent case management meeting scheduled for October 15.
The prosecution lodged its notice of appeal on March 7, 2024, and filed the petition of appeal on June 26, presenting 24 grounds for the appeal. The prosecution argues that the Court of Appeal made errors in law and fact in acquitting Mohd Isa of all charges.
On March 6, 2024, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal, including Justice Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera (now a Federal Court judge), Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, and Datuk S.M. Komathy Suppiah, overturned Mohd Isa's conviction and a six-year sentence, along with a RM15.45 million fine imposed by the High Court on February 3, 2021.
Mohd Isa, who previously served as the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan, was accused in 2018 of accepting RM3,090,000 in bribes from Ikhwan Zaidel, a director at Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd. The bribes were allegedly received through his former special political officer, Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, as a reward for facilitating Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd's approval to purchase the Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites for RM160 million.
The alleged offenses occurred at Level 49, Menara Felda, Platinum Park, No. 11, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, between July 21, 2014, and December 11, 2015. Mohd Isa was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of at least five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is greater.