FORMER Felda chairman Mohd Isa Abdul Samad’s appeal hearing against the conviction and sentence for bribery related to the purchase of a hotel in Sarawak has been postponed again following his admission to a private hospital in Seremban for heart problems.

The three-panel Court of Appeal, comprising judges Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Azmi Ariffin, allowed the adjournment after Isa’s lawyer, Salehuddin Saidin, informed the court that his client was admitted to hospital last night and he received the medical report this morning.

“Isa’s wife, who is his bailor, is also unable to appear in today’s proceedings. She’s unable to walk due to her knee pain, for which she received treatment last night,” he said.

“We were just informed of this matter and the family wish to apologise for any inconvenience caused.” Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz did not object to the postponement.

Hadhariah set October 16 for the hearing of the appeal.

He said the court hoped Isa would recover by then.

The hearing was set for March 7 previously but was postponed to June 26 following a request by Isa’s counsel for more time to enter his defence.

On February 3, 2021, the High Court convicted the 73-year-old Isa of nine counts of bribery involving RM3 million in the Felda acquisition of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching.

The offences took place on the 49th floor of Menara Felda, Platinum Park, No 11, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur between July 21, 2014 and December 11, 2015.

High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali (now a Court of Appeal judge) handed down a sentence of six years for each offence with a cumulative total of 54 years and a fine of RM15.45 million or 18 years imprisonment in lieu of the fine.

Nazlan ordered to the sentences to run concurrently, therefore, Isa was to serve only six years.

The Court of Appeal raised bail from RM800,000 to RM1.5 million and required the accused to report to the nearest police station on the 1st of every month until the appeal is settled.

Isa, who was also a former Negri Sembilan menteri besar, filed the appeal on February 4, 2021. – Bernama, June 26, 2023.