KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court here was told today that Datuk Rozman Isli never declared the interests of his father and younger brother as shareholders in Labuan Liberty Port Management Sdn Bhd (LLPM).
Labuan Port Authority (LPL) Development and Investment Committee secretary Hida Jerman, 53, said if there was such a declaration, she would have included the names of Rozman’s father, Isli Siput and his younger brother, Tony Noolan in the minutes of LPL’s Development and Investment Committee meeting dated Nov 20, 2017.
The 19th prosecution witness said Rozman had informed that the LLPM was a homegrown company that was the pride of Labuan, and that it had the best management which actively implemented corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.
“Datuk Rozman also stated that LP Multi Terminal Sdn Bhd was the company with the most potential as compared to LLPM and Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd. However, he opined that the company (LP Multi) and LLPM should be called to present their full proposals and give a briefing to the committee (development and investment),“ he said.
She said this while reading her witness statement at the hearing of the case of the former Labuan MP who is facing charges of using his position to obtain a bribe, namely an employment contract as the operator of the Labuan Liberty Port for LLPM, in which his father and younger brother have an interest.
According to Hida, after the members of the meeting discussed and voiced their respective opinions, they agreed for LLPM and LP Multi to be called to provide briefings to the committee which took place at the Hilton Sentral Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 11, 2017.
“When the meeting agreed to it and the decision was made, Datuk Rozman did not declare his interest in LLPM, and he was present throughout the meeting,“ said the witness.
Asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Feisal Mohd Azmi whether Rozman had ever stated that he had an interest in LLPM, the witness replied: ‘Never’.
Meanwhile, the witness agreed with the suggestion of lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali who represented Rozman, that based on the minutes of all the meetings held, the politician had never chaired any meeting.
Rozman, 58, is accused as an official of a public body, namely the deputy chairman of the Labuan Port Authority, of having used his position to obtain the bribe at the TKSU Meeting Room, Level 9, Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Jalan Tun Hussein, Precinct 4, Putrajaya between 2.30-5.30 pm on March 21, 2018.
The charges are framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The hearing before Judge Rozina Ayob continues on Feb 10. -Bernama
