Remand for two more over FIC case

Under scrutiny: The legal assistant being led to the magistrates court in Putrajaya.

PUTRAJAYA: A lawyer and a legal assistant were among six people held in connection with Felda Investment Corporation’s (FIC) property acquisition activities who were brought to court either for a fresh remand or release.

Magistrate Muhamad Safuan Azhar who had a busy morning presiding over these matters allowed prosecutors from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to hold the two in custody to help investigation into FIC’s purchase of a high-end property in London.

The lawyer, 44, and the legal assistant – a 29-year-old woman – will be held until Aug 8.

The duo, who were arrested at the MACC headquarters on Thursday arrived at the court complex about 9.10am.

Both suspects were said to be involved in preparing the documents of the agreement between the original hotel owner and a third party, paving the way for the purchase of a hotel in Kensington, London, by FIC.

The same court also heard MACC’s application to extend the remand for FIC’s former CEO Zaid Abdul Jalil, whose earlier remand order ended yesterday.

Zaid’s lawyer Fahmi Abdul Muin argued that the four days that investigators held his client should be sufficient to help in their investigation.

“My client should not be remanded any longer given his health condition,” he told the court.

Magistrate Muhamad Safuan however allowed the extension, giving the MACC another four days to question Zaid until Aug 8.

Separately, the court released three individuals who were earlier remanded in connection with FIC’s purchase of a four-star hotel in Kuching.

They are a company director who is also the owner of the hotel and directors of a company which was appointed as the agent to manage the purchase of the hotel.

The three were released on cash bail of RM20,000 and a MACC bail of RM200,000 respectively.

At the Shah Alam Sessions Court, a preacher with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) was charged with abuse of power involving RM10,000.

Hairul Nizan Mhd Idris, 36, who is based at the Hulu Langat District Islamic Religion Office, pleaded not guilty for allegedly abusing his position to endorse a company, Prisma Jaya Kini Resources which was owned by his elder brother, to supply food and beverage worth RM10,000 for the district level Al-Quran recital assembly last year.

At the Melaka Sessions Court, Bernama reported that a police sergeant was sentenced to a day’s jail and fined RM10,000, in default three months’ jail, after he pleaded guilty to taking a RM1,500 bribe last year.

The policeman was charged with obtaining the bribe from a woman, Fatimah Abdullah, as an inducement for him to dispose off an exhibit on the urine test of her son who was detained for a drug-related offence.