Court Hearing Postponed Due To Judge's Absence
By Abdul Rahim Mohd Taib and Hadi DP Mahmud

Bandar Seri Begawan - The corruption trial of the exminister of development, Pg Indera Wijaya Pg Dr Ismail Pg Damit and his correspondent, Wong Tim Kai, was postponed yesterday due to the absence of Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Mohammed Saied, who was reported to be unwell to perform his duties.

The court session is scheduled to continue today. The 19th prosecution witness, Pg Tejudin Pg Puteh, senior administrative officer at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport was scheduled to give out a testimony yesterday. Pengiran Tejudin was formerly the Special Grade Administrative Officer at the Ministry of Development in 1991.

On Monday, Pg Tejudin read out his statement, made under Section 117B of the Criminal Procedure Code, Chapter seven which disclosed that he had a duty to process applications for industrial TOL (Temporary Occupation Licence) Land received from the Commissioner of Land at the Land Department. `As an Administrative Officer attached to the Permanent Secretary's Office in the Ministry of Development, it was my duty amongst others to process applications for industrial Temporary Occupation License Land received from the Commissioner of Land at at the Land Department.

"After evaluating the application, I would forward a summary of the application to the Permanent Secretary for discussion and decision. What I meant by a summary is a list of applicants who had forwarded their applications for industrial TOL Land, which I had checked by providing details of whether the applications received are complete and in compliance with the conditions of application," said Pg Tejudin in his statement.

In paragraph four of his written statement, he told the court that the decision of the TOL Committee Meeting would be sent by him to the Commissioner of Land via memorandum.

In paragraph 21 of his written statement, he revealed that he had signed a memorandum from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Development to the Commissioner of Land dated January 29, 1994 regarding the application for the Transfer of Land Title Lot 33999 at Kampong Katok, Gadong.

Pg Dr Ismail was charged for corruption for allegedly agreeing to accept, in the period between November 1993 and March 1997, a gratification in the form of eight residential houses which at that time were to be developed at Kampong Katok.

He was charged for committing an offence contrary to section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chapter 131, which is punishable under section 7(1) of the same act.

The ex-Minister of Development and Wong are facing 12 charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act including a charge under the Penal Code. If found guilty they could be fined $30,000 and imprisoned for 10 years.

In this corruption case, the public prosecutors was led by Andrew MacRae, the Queen's Counsel from Hong Kong and assisted by Maggie Wong also from Hong Kong, DPP Aldila Mohd Salleh and DPP Azrimah Abdul Rahman.

Malaysian Christopher Fernando appeared for the exminister and was assisted by Ahmad Basuni Abas from Abraham Davidson & Company. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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