Former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik sent two short notes to the Cabinet in 2002 to clarify the confusion over the sale and purchase of land in Pulau Indah, the High Court was told.
The ministry's former maritime principal assistant secretary, P. Chandrasekaran, said the notes under the heading Repossession of Pulau Indah Land for Mega Distribution Hub Project by Port Klang Authority (PKA) were also to explain the fraudulent claim by Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).
Under cross-examination by Dr Ling's counsel, Wong Kian Kheong, he said the two notes sent on Oct 29, 2002 contained certain information, among them, the ministry's activities in its bid to get the land through sale and purchase with follow-up meetings and active discussions between PKA, as well as KDSB.
The notes also explained that on June 12, 2001, the finance ministry decided that the land be acquired through repossession, rather than purchase, as the price was too high as compared to its development potential.
Earlier, the fifth prosecution witness told the court there was no error in the contents of the two notes, adding he did not send any letter to Dr Ling to inform him of any.
Chandrasekaran, 56, also said he had not seen any letter, note or memo from the fourth witness, former transport ministry deputy secretary-general (Planning) Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor, 61, PKA, or a lawyer indicating there was any error in the two notes.
Dr Ling, is charged with deceiving the government by concealing the fact that the interest rate of 7.5 per cent per annum was additional to the purchase price of Lot 67894 at RM25 psf - totalling RM1,088,456,000 - despite knowing that the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) had already taken the interest into account when it valued the land at RM25 psf.
He faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the purchase of Lot 67894 at RM25 psf and the 7.5 per cent interest rate were acknowledged and agreed to, by the JPPH despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
He allegedly committed the offences on the fourth floor of the Prime Minister's Office at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002.
Source : The Star
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