PUTATAN UMNO DEPUTY CHIEF CHARGED IN COURT

PUTATAN Umno Deputy Chief, Arsit Sedi @ Sidik was charged in the Sessions Court yesterday for failing to comply with a removal order under the Co-operative Society Act 1993.

Arsit, 58, claimed trial before senior magistrate Amir Shah Amir Hassan who set March 23 for re-mention of the case to fix a hearing date.

The court allowed the accused, who is represented by counsel Datuk Norbert Chin, to be released on RM2,000 bail to be deposited with two local sureties pending disposal of the case.

Arsit, who has been removed from the post as a board member of the Sabah Government Employees Cooperative Society Bhd (Kopeks) under Section 69 (6) of the Co-operative Society Act 1993 on Jan 12, 2006, allegedly failed to comply with the said order by holding the post as a board member of Lembaga Koperasi Pembangunan Usahasama Masyarakat Maju Sabah Berhad on Nov 21, 2009.

He allegedly committed the offence at Rafflesia Ballroom 1, Promenade Hotel, No.4, Lorong Api-Api 3, Api-Api Centre here on Nov 21, 2009.

He was charged under Section 70 of the Co-operative Society Act 1993 which provides for a fine not exceeding RM100,000 on conviction.

Under the law, if an officer of a co-operative society has been removed by an order of the Commission, such officer shall thereafter not be eligible to be appointed as a member of the board or any committee of the co-operative society or be re-employed by that or any other co-operative society, as the case may be, for a period of five years from the date of such removal.

Earlier DPP Kamarulzaman Mohd Buhari applied for the accused to be released on RM10,000 with one local surety.

Norbert however applied for the bail amount proposed by the prosecution to be reduced to RM1,500.

He pointed out that the accused is a local leader as he is the Putatan Umno deputy chief, Putatan District Council Deputy Chairman, Chairman of Permodalan Capital Berhad, Chairman of the Persatuan Nelayan Kota Kinabalu and Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority (LPPB) Board of Directors member.

He submitted that if the bail amount is too high, this would mean that the accused has already been found guilty if he failed to pay the bail.

Norbert said that the purpose of bail is to compel the accused to come to court for the hearing and informed the court that his client would surely be present in court for the hearing.

The prosecution would be calling 15 witnesses during the trial. - Sabahkini