Ex-Minister Hearing Continues
By Abd Rahim Mohd Taib

Bandar Seri Begawan - The High Court continued yesterday the trial for the corruption case involving ex-minister of development Pengiran Indera Wijaya Pengiran Dr Ismail Pengiran Damit and his corespondent, Wong Tim Kai. Presiding the session was Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Mohammed Saied.

The ex-minister and Wong Tim Kai were facing charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Penal Code.

The defence counsel yesterday continued the cross examination of prosecution witness Ahmad Udin, the acting assistant commissioner of land at the Land Office, Ministry of Development.

Ahmad Udin confirmed he received a memorandum dated December 18, 1991 signed by Norliha Abdul Ghani together with attachments concerning the TOL Committee's earlier approval of 1.3 acres of TOL Land to be given to TED Sdn. Bhd.

However, he told the court he was not sure whether there had been an application by Asiadis General Construction for such Temporary Occupation Licence land. He was also not sure that Asiadis General construction was later relocated by the Town and country Planning Department from elsewhere.

Legal counsel Balwant Singh Sidhu asked Ahmad if there had been any communication relating to such application for TOL land in the file at the Commissioner of Land Office. The witness asked for time in order to search for the file. "If I am given time to investigate, I can verify," said Ahmad.

The witness also told the court that he sent a letter to the Commissioner of Town and Country Planning Department on February 3, 1992, because he expected the Town and Country Planning Department to re-evaluate the requirement of TED Sdn Bhd. The second defendant Wong Tim Kai is the Managing Director of TED Sdn Bhd. On February 12, 1992, the witness sent a memorandum to the Ministry of Development to inform its Permanent Secretary about TED Sdn Bhd's appeal for 2.45 acres of TOL land. He told the court that he received a memorandum from the Permanent Secretary.

Not long after he received a memorandum from the Town and Country Planning Department in response to his earlier memorandum. He circulated a copy of this memorandum to the Senior Land Officer on April 30, 1992.

The witness agreed with the defence counsel there was not any letter sent from the Land Office or other relevant departments for TED Sdn Bhd to inform them of the status of their appeal.

Andrew MacRae led the public prosecutors and was assisted by Maggie Wong from Hong Kong, DPP Aldilla Mohd Salleh and Azrimah Abdul Rahman. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with