OC Phang, the former general manager of the Port Klang Authority, has applied to the Klang Sessions Court for a stay of hearing into the criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges against her over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.Her lawyer Francis Ng Aik Guan told the court that Phang wants her case to be deferred pending disposal of a related case against former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik.
There are many overlapping issues that first require a ruling in the Ling case, he said, citing details of the background and the scope of approval involving the project as examples.DPP Dzulkifli Ahmad said he would need two days to submit a written reply.Sessions judge Asmadi Hussain set Nov 15 to hear the application.
Ng also said he had submitted a request to the prosecution last Thursday for more documents, including minutes of cabinet meetings and the ministry's correspondence related to the project.Dzulkifli told the court he had only received the application late the next day and that he would need two days to respond .
Four days had been set aside from today to hear the case against Phang, 63, who was charged on Dec 10 last year with three counts of CBT involving a total of RM254.8 million.She is accused of CBT of RM98.7 million involving an account with RHB Bank Bhd at the Port Klang Authority between Oct 1, 2004 and Sept 5, 2005.The other two offences, allegedly involving RM21.6 million and RM134.55 million, were said to be committed at the same place between Sept 30, 2005, and May 9, 2006, and between June 1, 2005, and Jan 13, 2006.
If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years in jail and a fine for each charge.On July 20, Ling was charged under Section 418 of the Penal Code with misleading the cabinet between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002, into agreeing to purchase 999.5 acres of land on Pulau Indah for the PKFZ project, at a price of RM25psf on a deferred payment basis for a 15-year period, at a 7.5 percent interest rate.
The cumulative interest paid would total RM720 million at the end of the repayment period.He was also offered an alternative charge, under Section 417 of the Penal Code, for the same offence.They are both out on bail.
Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/146404
No comments:
Post a Comment