Delay in Isa Samad's Corruption Review Hearing

Post by : Shakul

The Federal Court of Malaysia has put on hold the hearing for Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, the former chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority. He is seeking a review of his corruption conviction, prison sentence, and associated financial penalties that were previously reinstated. This adjournment followed a request from the defence to access official recordings and transcripts from past court sessions that took place in February.

Presiding over the case was Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Seri Hashim Hamzah, who, along with the other two judges, agreed to grant the defence team the necessary access to documents from the hearings on February 5 and 10. Justice Hashim emphasized that allowing access was crucial for justice, given the disagreements between the parties over the events of those previous hearings.

During the proceedings, defence attorney M.M. Athimulan asserted that the recordings were vital for establishing whether the earlier Federal Court panel allowed the defence an opportunity to present additional arguments regarding mitigation and other defence issues post-conviction. However, the prosecution countered that such an opportunity was previously extended but the defence opted not to present additional submissions. The defence team is contesting this claim and has requested access to the official records for clarity.

The court has scheduled a case management session for tomorrow to allow both parties time to review the transcripts and prepare for the next steps in the proceedings. The bench included Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi and Federal Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, with the prosecution represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, in collaboration with Mohamad Arif Aizuddin Masrom.

At 76 years of age, Isa Samad is currently serving a six-year prison term after the Federal Court upheld the prosecution’s appeal and reinstated his corruption conviction. The ruling also brought back a fine of RM15.45 million against him. He had previously been acquitted by the Court of Appeal in March 2024 before the Federal Court reversed that decision.

This corruption case stems from the acquisition of the Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites in Kuching, Sarawak, which was purchased for RM160 million by Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd. Isa Samad was alleged to have received more than RM3 million in bribes through his former aide for facilitating the hotel deal. The High Court had originally found him guilty on all nine corruption counts in February 2021.

As one of Malaysia's notable high-profile corruption cases involving a former senior political figure, Isa Samad’s legal team has now submitted an application under Rule 137 of the Federal Court Rules 1995, alleging a breach of natural justice during earlier proceedings. The outcome of this review application is anticipated to attract significant public interest as the legal journey unfolds in Malaysia’s supreme court.

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