Court to hear Isa Samad appeal next March

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set March 7 next year to hear former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad’s appeal against his conviction and six-year imprisonment and fine for corruption over the purchase of a hotel in Sarawak.

Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz confirmed the hearing date. He told Bernama that the court had also set Feb 21 for another case management and ordered both parties to submit their submission by Feb 14.

The appeal came up for case management yesterday before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron.

On Feb 3 last year, the High Court convicted Mohd Isa, 72, on nine corruption charges involving RM3mil over Felda’s purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites in Kuching, Sarawak.

The offences were allegedly committed at Level 49, Menara Felda, Platinum Park, No 11, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, between July 21, 2014, and Dec 11, 2015.

Then High Court judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali – now a Court of Appeal judge – had sentenced Mohd Isa to six years in prison for each charge, totalling 54 years and a fine of RM15.45mil in default 18 years’ jail.

However, Mohd Isa only has to serve six years in jail as the court ordered for the prison sentences to run concurrently.

The court had increased the former Negri Sembilan mentri besar’s bail from RM800,000 to RM1.5mil and also ordered him to report at the nearest police station on the first day of every month pending disposal of the appeal.