High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is scheduled to deliver his verdict after having heard oral submissions from the defence and prosecution on Dec 24.
The 71-year-old’s trial started on Oct 7, 2019 with the prosecution calling 15 witnesses and the defence six.
On June 16, Nazlan ordered Isa to enter his defence on nine counts of corruption but acquitted him on one count of criminal breach of trust.
For the corruption charges, Isa, who is also the longest-serving Negeri Sembilan menteri besar (1982-2004) and a federal minister, is accused of receiving RM3.09 million in kickbacks for approving the purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel.
Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd paid RM160 million in 2014 for the purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching, Sarawak, which was reportedly at least 50% higher than the actual value of the property.
He was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and if found guilty, can be jailed up to 20 years and fined five times the gratification amount.
Lawyer Salehuddin Saidin had submitted that the defence rebutted the presumption under Section 50 of the Act that the RM3 million Isa allegedly received was corrupt money.
He said Isa had denied receiving such money and he subjected himself to cross-examination by the prosecution. Five other witnesses testified to support Isa’s contention.
The lawyer said Muhammad Zahid Mat Arip, who was a special officer to Isa and prosecution witness, had collected the money on nine occasions from Ikhwan Zaidel, the then director of Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd, which owned the hotel.
Further, he said Isa’s former secretary Zuraida Ariffin @ Shaari told the court that she never saw Zahid bring any paper bag into Isa’s office.
The lawyer said her evidence was supported by the testimony of Isa’s special officer Kamar Bashah Shariff as both would always be in the accused’s office.
Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz said the money was handed over to Isa in the absence of Zuraida and Bashah.
“It was done discreetly,” he said, adding that Zahid was the conduit between the accused and Ikhwan.
Afzainizam said the prosecution’s task was to prove Isa received the money with corrupt intention and not where he kept it and what it was used for.