KUALA LUMPUR — A former special officer to Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad told the High Court here today that he would get between RM10,000 and RM50,000 from the former Felda chairman after receiving money from a former member of Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd (GAPSB) board of directors, Ikhwan Zaidel.
Muhammad Zahid Md Arip said he received the money from Ikhwan on behalf of Mohd Isa, during nine meetings at various locations between July 2014 and December 2015.
“Everytime I received the money, I did not touch or count the money that was handed over to me by Ikhwan..what I knew was that , the paper bag and black bag contained money.
“Sometimes, after twice or thrice handing over the money Tan Sri Isa, he will call me on the phone and asked me to come to his room. When I got there, he said ‘Nah! Ambil sikit’ (Here! take some) and gave me (each time) about RM10,000 to RM20,000 and at time RM50,000, even though I never asked for anything from him,” he added.
The 21st prosecution witness said this when reading out his witness statement on the 14th day of Mohd Isa’s trial for criminal breach of trust and corruption involving more than RM3 million in connection with the purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suits (MPHS) by Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FICSB) in Kuching, Sarawak.
Muhammad Zahid told the court that he first met Ikhwan in September 2013 through a friend, JV Evolution Sdn Bhd (JVESB) director Azizi Abd Wahab, 54.
“Azizi contacted me saying that he and a friend (Ikhwan) wanted to meet me at my office in Felda because Ikhwan had the proposal on the sale of MPHS in Kuching.
“I told them that I would forward the proposal to Tan Sri Isa,” he added.
He also told the court that FICSB chief executive officer Mohd Zaid Abdul Jalil informed Ikwan about the FICSB board of directors’ decision on March 2014 to not proceed with the hotel purchase, but Ikhwan still asked him (Muhammad Zahid) to arrange a meeting between him (Ikhwan) and Mohd Isa.
“I arranged the meeting between the two of them at Tan Sri Isa’s office. I was not with them at the meeting as I left the office to do my work,” he added.
Muhammad Zahid said it was during the same month of the meeting that Mohd Isa received a telephone call from former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak asking Felda to buy MPHS.
Cross-examined by Mohd Isa’s lawyer, Datuk Salehuddin Saidin whether he knew the source of the money he received from Mohd Isa, Muhammad Zahid said he did not.
Salehuddin: You do not know the source of the money?
Muhammad Zahid: Tan Sri Isa gave, so I took it.
Mohd Isa, 71, is facing one count of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and nine counts of receiving bribes involving more than RM3 million in connection with the purchase of MPHS by FICSB.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Felda Tower, Platinum Park, No. 11, Persiaran KLCC here, between April 29, 2014 and Dec 11, 2015.
The hearing before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali continues tomorrow.
— BERNAMA
