KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony has claimed trial to abetting a lawyer to commit criminal breach of trust (CBT) in a Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) land deal in 2014.
Peter, who was brought before Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat on Thursday (June 18), was accused of abetting Michael Ubu to embezzle RM15,545,400 over a Risda land deal between July 22,2014 and Nov 19,2015.
He pleaded not guilty.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry said he would be applying for this case to be tried together with the five money-laundering charges levelled at Peter earlier amounting RM8.75mil during re-mention.
“I will also apply for Michael Ubu’s case, the lawyer also charged with regard to this case, to be a joint trial on Aug 4, ” he said.
The judge set Aug 4 for the re-mention and adopted the previous bail conditions of RM500,000, two local sureties, and ordered that Peter's passport be surrendered to the court and for him to report to the MACC office once every two months.
Counsel Dominic Chew applied for Peter’s attendance to be dispensed with on Aug 4 as it was only a submission of documents.
Fadhly, however, argued that Peter must be present on Aug 4 as there were documents that required the signatures of both the accused and his lawyers.
Judge Abu Bakar ordered that Peter be present and said the court would decide on the subsequent mention dates later on.
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