KUALA LUMPUR: Former City Hall (DBKL) mayor Amin Nordin Abd Aziz told the High Court in Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s RM2 million corruption trial that the former Federal Territories minister asked him to allow a developer to extend payment over the sale of two plots of land.
Amin said two letters by the developer, Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd to Tengku Adnan, were extended to him.
He added in the first letter, dated Aug 26, 2015, the company sought to postpone paying the first 10% from the land sale for three months as well as sought to reduce the price of the two pieces of land.
“Two plots of land in Bandar Tun Razak were sold to Aset Kayamas before I took over as mayor. The sale was approved by the minister.
“The minister had written a note on the top right asking me to consider their application on postponing the payment,” he said in his witness statement, adding that he instructed his officer to take further action.
Amin said DBKL then allowed Aset Kayamas to delay the first 10% payment of RM2.36 million until December 2015.
He added they could not decide on the company’s application in asking to reduce the land prices because the issue came under the finance ministry’s Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH).
Amin said another similar application to postpone payment and reduce the percentage payment for land prices by Aset Kayamas was made in a Feb 3, 2016 letter. Tengku Adnan also attached a note to the letter, he added.
“We agreed to the request to postpone the payment until July 2016 and reduce the percentage from 20% to 10%,” he added.
Amin added that whenever Tengku Adnan gave him instructions, he had to obey the orders as he was the minister.
When asked by Tengku Adnan’s lawyer Tan Hock Chuan on whether he was aware that the minister had asked him to consider postponing the payment because Aset Kayamas had appealed to the finance ministry to reduce the land prices, Amin said he was aware of the appeal.
“In this case, we agreed to what the minister had decided,” he added.
Tan also asked Amin whether he, as a mayor, had the power to decide on issues related to land under the Local Government Act.
In response, Amin told the court he was not well versed with the law.
“Maybe the mayor has the power but I did not dare make such decisions,” he said, drawing laughter from those in the court.
Amin, who resigned in September last year, also identified Aset Kayamas’ director Chai Kin Kong and group general manager Lee Chan Kuen when both men appeared before the court today.
Hearing continues before High Court judge Zaini Mazlan.
Tengku Adnan, popularly known as Ku Nan, has been accused of receiving RM2 million from Chai despite knowing that the businessman’s companies had dealings with the federal territories ministry, which was under him at the time.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Pusat Bandar Damansara CIMB bank branch here on June 14, 2016.
The charge was framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, under which it is an offence for a public servant to obtain anything valuable.
Those found guilty can be jailed for up to two years and fined. -FMT
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