Michael (second right) with his counsel Zahir (left) after the proceedings today.
KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah lawyer, who had just returned to the state after travelling to overseas, including Asian countries since 2017, claimed trial in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of embezzling RM15,454,400, being 10 per cent payment of the purchase of more than six million acres of oil palm plantation land in Tongod in his capacity as an agent for Risda.
Apart from the criminal breach of trust charge, Persius Henry Bolutong @ Michael Ubu, 64, who was brought before judge Abu Bakar Manat, also faces another charge of accepting RM3,960,000 from a company which was allegedly obtained from illegal activity.
The alleged offences were committed at Jalan Bundusan in Penampang between July 22, 2014 and May 10, 2016.
The accused, who was represented by counsel Zahir Shah, was granted RM1 million bail deposited with RM700,000 with two local sureties which are his wife and child.
The court also ordered for his passport to be impounded and to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) here once in two weeks, pending disposal of his cases.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohamad Zambry objected to bail on the grounds, among others that the accused had flight risk as according to the searching ID prepared by the investigating officer of the case, it stated that a reply letter from the Immigration Department to the MACC that the accused’s last departure record via Kota Kinabalu International Airport was on February 10, 2017.
However, the MACC had continued to look for him up to 2019 but the accused was allegedly failed to be traced until his return to the state and went to MACC’s office on June 12 to give his statement.
In reply, the accused’s counsel argued among others that the MACC had not made known their interest in the accused and a statement by MACC of their interest in the accused was on January 3, 2018 which was a year after the accused’s departure from Malaysia.
The counsel also recapped that in the end of 2016, the accused had received a call from Bukit Aman requesting his assistance in his capacity as a solicitor for a land deal in 2014 and at that time the accused was also informed that Risda had allegedly lodged a police report against him pertaining to the matter.
The court fixed August 4 for pre-trial management of the cases.