Isa Samad remanded for five days over MACC probe

Former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad was remanded for five days from today to assist the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its investigation into the purchase of a hotel by Felda Investment Corporation in Kensington, London, in 2014/2015.

The registrar of the Lower Courts of Malaya, Datuk Zainal Abidin Kamarudin, issued the order to have Mohd Isa remanded following an application from MACC.

Mohd Isa, 68, who was in MACC lockup attire, was brought to the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court at 9.10 am accompanied by several MACC officers in an MACC vehicle.

He was represented by six lawyers led by Datuk K. Kumaraendran. The other lawyers in the team were Dev Kumaraendran, Ridha Ahdar Subry, Datuk Khairul Anwar Rahmat, Lavina Kumarendran and Datuk N. Sivananthan.

DPP Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman appeared for the MACC.

Mohd Isa was arrested at 4.30 pm yesterday at the MACC headquarters here, two hours after he had gone there to give a statement.

He looked calm and smiled at members of his family and supporters and spoke in jest with media photographers who had been waiting there from 8 am.

Isa’s wife, Puan Sri Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid, who was also at the court compound, shed tears as Isa arrived at the court.

Lawyer K. Kumaraendran, speaking to reporters, said the defence had objected to the MACC remand application because Mohd Isa had volunteered to cooperate and come to the MACC headquarters at any time.

He also said that it had applied to have Mohd Isa remanded in a hospital due to heart problems.

However, he said, MACC had given the assurance that Mohd Isa’s health would be monitored and he would be given the necessary supply of medicines.

Kumaraendran said the MACC informed the court that Mohd Isa was required to assist the investigation in identifying when and where certain documents were received.

He also said that the MACC stated that the investigation was at the tail end.

Last month, the MACC reportedly opened an investigation into the FIC purchase of a hotel in Kensington, London, between 2013 and 2015 at a price that is believed to be much higher than the original, thus causing the Felda subsidiary to suffer millions of ringgit in losses.

FIC is a subsidiary of Felda and is engaged in non-farm business.

-- BERNAMA