Pak Lah expected to testify in Chan’s trial

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CHEATING: Chan (right) talking with his friends before attending the proceeding for his case in the Sessions Court. — Bernama photo

PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to be called as the main witness to testify at the cheating trial of former transport minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, involving the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Dzulkifli Ahmad told the Sessions Court here yesterday that the prosecution intended to call 15 witnesses to testify in the trial.

Chan’s case came up for mention yesterday before Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh who subsequently fixed May 10 for another mention date after granting the defence request for more time to study the 19 sets of documents given to them by the prosecution on Wednesday.

“We have yet to study the documents. I believe there are documents that need to be handed over to us. There is a possibility that we will make an application for further documents,” said lawyer Arthur Wang who is representing Chan.

He requested the court to fix another mention date, stating that some documents might also require declassification.

Earlier, Dzulkifli told the court that the prosecution handed over 19 sets of documents under Section 51(A) of the Criminal Procedure Code to the defence on Wednesday.

Wang also indicated to the court that the defence might want to apply for the case to be transferred to the High Court for trial.

However, when Azhaniz asked Dzulkifli whether there was any chance of the the case being transferred to the High Court, Dzulkifli responded that currently, there was no decision to transfer the case (to the High Court).

On Feb 28, this year, Chan, 55, pleaded not guilty to three counts of deceiving Abdullah into approving Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) as the turnkey developer to carry out development of the Transshipment Hub project in Pulau Indah Free Zone and renovation works at the PKFZ site between 2004 and 2006, amounting to RM1.9 billion.

Clad in grey coat and black trousers, Chan arrived at the court at 2.15pm, accompanied by his wife, Puan Sri Ann Chan, and their daughter.

Chan is accused of committing the offence at the fourth floor of the main block at the former prime minister’s office in Perdana Putra building here.

He faces a jail term of five years or fine, or both on each of the three charges under Section 417 of the Penal Code if convicted.

On the first charge, Chan is alleged to have deceived Abdullah into agreeing to approve KDSB as the turnkey developer for development of the Transshipment Hub project in Pulau Indah Free Zone, an area encompassing 1,000 acres, through a single phase with development cost estimated at RM1 billion.

Chan is accused of inducing Abdullah to agree to give the approval by dishonestly concealing the fact that the financing of the said development cost would be by KDSB issuing bonds through Transshipment Megahub Berhad, with the support of the Malaysian Government through the Minister of Transport, which Abdullah would not have done so if the said facts had been disclosed to him.

He is accused of committing the offence between Feb 24 and 25, 2004.

For the second charge, Chan is alleged to have deceived Abdullah into approving KDSB as the turnkey developer to carry out three additional development works on PKFZ.

The development works were upgrading of road junction work to PKFZ amounting to RM285.38 million, electrical infrastructure works amounting to RM135 million and construction of a business-class hotel amounting to RM90 million.

He is alleged to have induced Abdullah to agree to give the approval by dishonestly concealing the fact that the financing of the said development cost would be by KDSB issuing bonds through Valid Ventures Berhad with the support of the Malaysian Government through the Minister of Transport, whereby Abdullah would not have done, had the said facts been disclosed to him.

Chan is accused of committing the second offence between Oct 11 and 28, 2005.

For the third charge, Chan is alleged to have deceived Abdullah to approve KDSB as the turnkey developer to carry out another five additional development works on PKFZ.

The development works were concrete trenching works for electrical cables amounting to RM140.2 million, electrical works for 33kv supply to Precint 2 and Precint 8 amounting RM80 million, PMU infrastructure works for PKFZ amounting to RM30 million, construction of road linking PKFZ to West Port amounting to RM28.1 million and construction of road linking the main entrance of PKFZ with Cargo Terminal 4 West Port, amounting to RM57.5 million.

Chan is alleged to have induced Abdullah into agreeing to the approval by dishonestly concealing the fact that the financing of the said development cost would be by KDSB issuing bonds through Free Zone Capital Berhad with the support of the Malaysian Government through the Minister of Transport, whereby Abdullah would not have done, had the said facts been disclosed to him.

He is accused of commiting the offence between March 28 and 29, 2006. — Bernama