We were promised RM10 mil to secure Felda hotel deal, says company director

Former Felda chairman Isa Samad faces nine counts of corruption and one count of CBT over the alleged receipt of more than RM3 million from the sale of a Kuching hotel to Felda.

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court heard today that the company appointed to secure the sale of a Kuching hotel to Felda in 2014 had received RM1 million from the RM160 million proceeds.

Azizi Abd Wahab, a director of JV Evolution Sdn Bhd, said the RM1 million was reduced from the initial RM10 million that former hotel director Ikhwan Zaidel had promised them.

“I was told by Ikhwan to return the RM9 million ‘incentive’ that was agreed upon because he said the money was meant for political funds in Sarawak,” he said when testifying in the RM3.09 million corruption trial of former Felda chairman Isa Samad.

Azizi said JV Evolution, which he co-owned with his partner Mazeeb Abd Wahab, was promised RM10 million from the sale of the hotel, which Ikhwan’s former company, Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites, had offered for RM150 million to Felda.

He said JV Evolution received an appointment letter to act as estate agent for Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites on Oct 29, 2013, to secure the deal.

In June 2014, he said, Ikhwan told him that Felda had agreed to buy Merdeka Palace at a RM160 million price tag.

Azizi also said that Ikhwan had asked him and Mazeed to withdraw a sum of RM1.79 million in cash between July 21, 2014 and July 8, 2015 from JV Evolution’s bank account.

“We passed the money to Ikhwan at various locations in KL and PJ,” Azizi said, adding that the cash was packed in plastic courier bags.

At this juncture, deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz told the court the prosecution wanted to adjourn the trial and continue, to which High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali agreed.

Previously, Ikhwan had testified that he paid Isa, through Isa’s former aide Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, a sum of RM3.09 million between July 2014 and December 2016.

The prosecution had said in their opening statement that the RM3.09 million was paid by Ikhwan to Isa for approving the hotel’s sale at RM160 million.

Isa is facing nine counts of corruption and one count of criminal breach of trust (CBT) over the alleged receipt of more than RM3 million at Menara Felda, Persiaran KLCC between April 29, 2014 and Dec 11, 2015.

The CBT charge provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction, while the corruption charges allow for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of at least five times the bribe amount. - FMT