This followed a decision by High Court judicial commissioner Aslam Zainuddin today. He dismissed Peter’s application to transfer the case from the sessions court here to the Kota Kinabalu sessions court.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said Peter’s application was dismissed because the High Court here had no jurisdiction to transfer the case to Kota Kinabalu.
“Therefore, hearing of the case will be at the sessions court here from April 5 to 9 and from April 19 to 23,” he told reporters when met after the hearing.
Wan Shaharuddin said the prosecution would likely call 12 witnesses, including former prime minister Najib Razak, former chief justice Zaki Azmi and former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Peter, who was in court today with his lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, filed the application on Jan 6 on grounds that some of the witnesses in the case are in Sabah.
It was also because he had been charged with five other charges in the Kota Kinabalu Special Corruption Court and his movements between Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur were limited.
Peter, 50, was charged, as the managing director of Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd, with falsifying a document with regard to a purported collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to fund and set up an M&E technical training centre via direct negotiation in July 2014.
The offence, under Section 468 of the Penal Code, was allegedly committed at the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister at the Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya, on July 17, 2014.
He faces a jail term of up to five years or a fine, or both, if convicted.
Peter also faced an alternative charge with using false documents as genuine to finance and set up an M&E centre at the same place and date, under Section 471 of the Penal Code.
In June last year, the Warisan vice-president was also charged with money laundering involving RM8.75 million and criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM15 million in cases filed at the Kota Kinabalu sessions court, in connection with a Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) land deal.