KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General's Chambers is not appealing the High Court's acquittal of former Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik from charges of cheating the Government of Malaysia regarding the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, who led the prosecution team, confirmed this through the short-messaging service (SMS) to Bernama on Friday.
On Oct 25, High Court Judge Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi had acquitted Dr Ling after finding the defence had created reasonable doubts in the prosecution's case.
Dr Ling, 70, who was appointed transport minister from Jan 7, 1986 until May 25, 2003, closed his case on June 20 this year after calling nine witnesses, including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Ling was charged with cheating the Government for not disclosing to the Cabinet an additional interest rate of 7.5 per cent per annum on the purchase price of the land for the PKFZ project, knowing that it was fixed at RM1,088,456,000 by the Property and Valuation Department, based on RM25 psf, inclusive of the coupon/interest rates.
He also faced two alternative (amended) charges of having cheated and intentionally not disclosing to the Cabinet that the 7.5 per cent per annum was an additional interest rate on the land price.
Dr Ling was alleged to have committed the offences at Level 4 of the Prime Minister's Office at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002. - Bernama
