Development Minister Case Proceeds
By Abd Rahim Mohd Taib

Bandar Seri Begawan - The High Court continued the trial yesterday for the corruption case of the former Minister of Development, Pengiran Indera Wijaya Pengiran Dr Ismail Pengiran Damit and his correspondent, Wong Tim Kai, that was heard before Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Mohammed Saied.

In yesterday's hearing, the defence counsel cross-examined the current prosecution witness, Ahmad Udin, the Acting Assistant Commissioner of Land at the Land Office. Balwant Singh Sidhu, the legal counsel for Wong Tim Kai, began the session by questioning the prosecution witness whether he agreed or not that the Town and Country Planning Department had allocated a 2.45 acre area of Temporary Occupation License (TOL) land and also prepared a layout, so that TED Sdn Bhd, which the defendant was an official of at that time, could apply to the Land Office for the TOL lot.

Ahmad Udin agreed with the court's statement and also agreed that the memo from the Ministry of Development's Permanent Secretary, dated March 11, 1992, to the Commissioner of Land was a directive from a higher authority than the Commissioner of Land.

He also told the court of two methods by which reports were given to him by Land Inspectors; firstly, by photographs and secondly a written report, stating that he was a Senior Land officer at that time.

He also revealed that he instructed the Land Inspector to file a report sometime in 1999 which was submitted to him by 2000, which is related with the TOL land occupied by TED Sdn Bhd in the Mulaut Industrial Area. Hearing continues tomorrow.  -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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