KUALA LUMPUR: The criminal breach of trust trial involving Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg Mirza Hadi Hassan Beg and former Pempena chief operating officer, Mohammad Rosly Md Selamat, began briefly this morning before it was adjourned to Thursday.
Judge Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh made the decision following a request by lawyer Saseedharan Menon, representing Mirza, that the defence be allowed time to study the documents they obtained from the prosecution. Saseedharan told the court that the documents, including the minute of Pempena board meeting on Feb 22, 2007, were unclear and incomplete. "We cannot proceed with the trial today; we need time to study these documents," he said.
Earlier Pempena vice executive chairman, Akit Sebli, who is the prosecution's first witness, testified that Mohammad Rosly was tasked with implementing the "Malaysian Kitchen" project in Dubai to promote Malaysian food. "He visited the project site in Dubai at the end of 2006 and tabled a report to the Pempena board at a meeting chaired by Datuk Chor Chee Heung," he said under examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Azlina Rasdi.
On Aug 16 last year Mirza, 54, and Mohammad Rosly, 57, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to committing CBT by approving payment amounting to RM888,000 to LCL Interior LCL Dubai throughManshreq Bank Dubai, for the Malaysian Kitchen project when in fact the terms for approval had not been met. They have been charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code and can be jailed up to 20 years, and fined and can also be whipped, if convicted. The duo allegedly committed the offence at Pempena's office at Menara Dato' Onn, Putra World Trade Centre here on Feb 27, 2007.
- Bernama
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