Former Felda chairperson Mohd Isa Samad allegedly floated then Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's name after Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FIC) initially rejected a proposal to purchase the Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching, Sarawak.
This was according to former FIC chief executive officer Mohd Zaid Abdul Jalil who testified as the 15th witness in Isa's graft trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
"Around two weeks after FIC sent a letter (on its decision) to (the hotel owner) Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd dated Feb 28, 2014, I received a call from Isa instructed for me to review the proposal paper for the hotel takeover.
"He told me the prime minister asked for a review of the proposal paper on the hotel takeover to facilitate political activities in Sarawak," he told the court.
He said on Feb 26, 2014, the FIC board had concluded that the hotel purchase was not feasible nor would it be profitable for FIC.
Zaid said following's Isa's claim of Najib's instruction, the board in another meeting on April 29, 2014, did not object to the re-tabled proposal for the hotel takeover.
"Before I re-tabled the proposal paper, Isa informed the FIC board of directors that the prime minister had asked to review the hotel takeover decision.
"There was no questions nor objections from the board members at the time," he testified.
Subsequently, Zaid said Gegasan Abadi made a new offer to sell its hotel at RM165 million but this was later reduced to RM160 million.
On Oct 8, another witness acting FIC chief financial officer Azlan Mohamed Ismail had testified that the hotel, as of 2018, was worth RM77.5 million, less than half of the purchase price of RM160 million in 2014.
He said this was following a valuation carried out by Syarikat CH Williams Talhar Wong & Yeo Sdn Bhd.
Isa is standing trial for one count of criminal breach of trust and nine counts of receiving bribes of more than RM3 million for allegedly lopsided deals which he had pushed through in FIC. - Mkini
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