PKFZ Scandal: Chan Kong Choy charged
February 28, 2011
PKFZ Scandal: Former Transport Minister charged
by Hazlan Zakaria@www.malaysiakini.com
Former transport minister Chan Kong Choy was slapped with three charges of cheating in a sessions court in Putrajaya today, in relation to the Port Klang Free Zone scandal.
The charges were brought under Section 417 of the Penal Code. He has been released on bail of RM1 million with one surety. The case is set for mention on March 31. Chan faces a maximum five-year jail term, a fine or both, if found guilty.
The first charge is that he deceived then premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi into approving Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) as the turnkey developer for a trans-shipment hub project at the Pulau Indah Free Zone (as it was then called).
According to the charge sheet, Chan is accused of concealing the fact that the development cost 
would be borne by KDCB, which was to issue bonds through Transshipment Megahub Bhd with the support of the government and the Transport Ministry.
He is alleged to have induced Abdullah into giving approval because the latter would not have agreed if the facts had been disclosed to him.
This offence was allegedly committed between Feb 24 and 25, 2004, at the fourth floor of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The second charge is that Chan deceived Abdullah into approving KDSB as the turnkey developer to carry out three pieces of additional development work amounting to RM518.38 million. This offence was allegedly committed between Oct 11 and Oct 28, 2005, at the same place.
The third charge is that Chan deceived Abdullah into approving KDSB as the turnkey developer to carry out five pieces of additional development work amounting to RM335.8 million.This offence was allegedly committed between March 28 and 29, 2006, in the same location.
On the second and third charges, Chan is accused of concealing the fact that the development cost would be borne by KDSB through two special purpose vehicles supported by the government and the Transport Ministry, on the basis that Abdullah would have not granted approval had he been aware of this.
Pre-trial conference
Chan was taken into the courthouse by police at 2pm. He was accompanied by his wife and daughter.Dressed in grey pants and a white shirt, he appeared calm and jovial.
A police personnel stationed in the court room made a slight issue over the attire of Chan’s daughter. “This is my daughter,” Chan told the police personnel, who relented and allowed his daughter to enter the courtroom on condition that she sat in the back row.
Attorney-General (A-G) Abdul Gani Patail arrived 10 minutes before Chan and is expected to lead the prosecution team.
Chan was represented by three lawyers, led by Azad Bashir. Speaking to reporters later, Chan refused to speculate his chance of mounting successful defence. “The charges came as a surprise to me but I am confident of the judicial system. I hope I can clear my name,” said Chan.
After the charge was read, the A-G said both parties had agreed that the bail be set at RM1 million. Gani asked for a later trial date to enable the prosecution to prepare its case. He also proposed a pre-trial conference between the prosecution and defence.
Judge Azhaniz Ateh Azman agreed to the bail amount and set March 31 for mention. Chan is the second VVIP charged in connection with the PKFZ scandal, which has been plagued by massive cost overruns and which, according to an audit report, could potentially cost taxpayers a whopping RM12.5 billion.
In July 29 last year, former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik was charged with misleading the cabinet into approving a land deal at an inflated price. Four others, including former PKFZ general-manager OC Phang, have been charged with various offences for their alleged involvement in the project.
Whoa, Sleeping Flip Flop PM deceived so many times to the tune of $hundreds of millions and billions by MCA? Why didn’t he ask the AG and MoF and BNM and other advisors for evaluation before saying yes?
And yet no charges yet against the man behind it all?
Will the Sleeping PM’s and his Sil’s fianancial position and wealth stand up to an income tax audit?
dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race
donplaypuks - February 28, 2011 at 6:33 pm
You mean our Prime Ministers were/are easy pickings? You projects that big gets approved by a nod of a sleepy head?
AG ask for late trial date to have enough time to prepare! You mean case not yet prepared but ready to charge? Then we should be prepared to see case dismissed on grounds of poor prosecution and no prima facie case to call for defense! Sigh….
ibat - February 28, 2011 at 6:42 pm
This is better than wayang kulit .Note, “he appeared calm and jovial.” A normal person would have wet his pants, what with RM 1M bail. On the charges, there was no skill in deceiving the PM,it would be a singe for a 5year old.
Brian - February 28, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Guys,
This is what happened when semuanya pun boleh…..This sequence from yes minister tells us how officials investigates another officials. Actually the whole story is very interesting, it’s pretty much similar to PKFZ scandal.
looes74 - February 28, 2011 at 7:57 pm
The indignities and intrusions Malaysians of all races have to accept as a price they have to pay for competing at the highest levels of government are considerable.From dawn to the hour of midnight, and perhaps even beyond that they must be prepared to open their door to investigators form the MACC and the PDRM.They can be called up at any time with or without the assistamce of the courts by the PDRM and MACC under the 9 day remand order.
All this fine. In the name of having a clean and accountable government we the citizens are willing to submit ourselves to ensure that no one cheats and everyone plays by the rules.
But, for all this work there must be quid pro quo. If certain people are to be held rigorously to account then the people responsible for the running of such a system must be, too. Everyone needs to play by the rules just as in fotball if you use the hands to score a goal or prevent a goal you are sent off the field.
If the government don’t then why should others?
The question thrown up by the case in question in a case in point.
For a clean government to operate, the government must not only be fair but must also be seen to fair.Everone involved, including the Government, has to be policed as stringently as the wrongdoers in the PKFZ fiasco.
Anonymous - February 28, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Hahaha, sleepy head approved everything while sleep walking?
Surprise, surprise, mountains moved without big brother Umno in the picture?
sam - February 28, 2011 at 8:35 pm
UMNO guys like former UMNO Treasurer, Azim Zabidi and Onn Ismail are still at large. Why aren’t they charged? This is because they are crony putras of UMNO leaders. Mahathir too has some explaining to do. He cannot be above the law. Ling and Kong Choy sudah kena, who else?
Ahmadi Hussein - February 28, 2011 at 9:28 pm
These two so-called VVIPs will surely expose others too. They will drag down other people in the government especially in MCA.
Pak Abu - February 28, 2011 at 10:05 pm
“…. Everone involved, including the Government, has to be policed as stringently as the wrongdoers in the PKFZ fiasco.” Anon 8:31 pm
Yes, but you know who is doing the ‘policing’ la …. otherwise how do you think we have so much taurus excretus these days?
aiD_kamikuP - February 28, 2011 at 10:17 pm
“According to the charge sheet, Chan is accused of concealing the fact that the development cost would be borne by KDCB ….
He is alleged to have induced Abdullah”
So Chan has his defence i.e. the ‘sleeping PM’ defence, made out for him.
Assuming you can find prima facie evidence of fraud, the issue is whether fraud had an operative effect on the mind of the PM. If it was choreographed that way, then fraud had no operative effect. So what do we have??
Gimme a break will ya?
The whopping RM12.5 billion cost to the taxpayers mean that somebody must take the fall. Chan, we are led to believe is one of them.
But something tells me that at the end of this charade, he and the others will be found not guilty once the judge applies the high criminal standard of proof of beyond reasonable doubt.
Mr Bean - February 28, 2011 at 10:49 pm
They cannot afford the fall-out and the collateral damage that comes with a guilty verdict; and the only way is to nail it down to reasonable doubt.
Mr Bean - February 28, 2011 at 10:54 pm
Why is that no one cheated during Mahathr’s time as compared to Adullah’s?
————————-
They were not caught because TDM covered them so that he can used and controlled them, your Ayahda is a blackmailer. Eg, when Kedah Aduns opposed on appointment of Sanusi Junid as MB, he called them to his office for a ‘chat’. After that they came out from the meeting endorsing Sanusi, have you wondered why, Pak Abu. — Din Mericsn.
Pak Abu - March 1, 2011 at 10:26 am
And don’t forget Faisal Abdullah. That’s one leech!
sabri hassan - March 1, 2011 at 11:15 am
Why is that no one cheated during Mahathr’s time as compared to Adullah’s?
————————————————————
It takes a bigger one to outwit the smaller one. or the cheating have been covered up so well. I;m sure if you dig deep enough the stench will be unbearable. How about Bank Bumi in HKG and Perwaja. Dead men tell no tales.
semper fi - March 1, 2011 at 1:13 pm
semper fi
This kinda remind me of the lyrics to the song Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by B.J. Thomas.
‘And I say i didn’t like the way he got things done,
Sleeping on the job’ tralala.
Do you know the song Sleeping On The Job by Fats Domino. That’s another one.
Pak Abu - March 1, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Pak Lah wasn’t sleeping on the job, just taking power naps. Then along came Jeanne, so need more power naps.
Pak Lah was easy going Biak pi lah so much so people took advantage of him. Ask Dato Thejuddin. Pak Lah should have just stuck to being a PTD officer in Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan and would probably end up as KSU.
semper fi - March 1, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Forget about MOR lyrics, Pak Abu.
It’s time for MCA to ta’ pau, bungkus or whatever:
C.L. Familiaris - March 1, 2011 at 1:55 pm
don’t get the Rakyak hope up too high.
To be charged is NOT to be prosecuted, yet…Same script with the apanama-ling mca rotten head also.
This is bolehland…These Money Come Agency rottenheadmen will both be discharged for a multitude of technical reasons…one being the AG’s half-past-6 prep.
hurricaneMax - March 1, 2011 at 4:41 pm
Semper fi
Who is Datruk Thejuddin ? Is he an UMNO man? How come I don’t know him?
Pak Abu - March 1, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Aha Pak Abu, it’s up to you to find out. There’s also a Dato Nazri not the . court jester Minister. ouldn’t they be a regular Joe?
See UMNO’s tentacles extending to all areas of power and manipulating outcomes. Lu tolong wa, wa tolong lu, RM 10 million OK kah? and the fuzzy EC can’t decide if that goes against elections legal practices.
semper fi - March 1, 2011 at 9:56 pm
What’s this about kerabu pucok paku? Where can I get some, Shrek??
Mr Bean - March 2, 2011 at 1:29 am
Mongkut Bean
Try Dean and Deluca in NYC. They call them fiddlesticks. Yum, don’t forget to invite me over when you’re having them.
semper fi - March 2, 2011 at 2:19 am
You sure you’re talking pucok paku and not some other paku?? Must remind myself never to ask for mati pucok. The slip happens.
Mr Bean - March 2, 2011 at 3:28 am
Yes I’m sure, or perhaps you might want to try Wagman’s. They also carry the fiddlesticks. With all the ED medications, mati pucok is no more.
semper fi - March 2, 2011 at 6:27 am
Erectile dysfunction? Our Tok Cik may need re-loading. His small caliber is no good against Gadaffi’s Magnum which is guaranteed to make a big hole.
Mr Bean - March 2, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Can all of you guys notice that for three cosecutive terms all the Transport Minister positions is given to the M=C=A. Why ?????????????????? and two landed in troubles with the MOUSE AND CATS .The present one Kong got to be careful in his works and not be a Punching Bag again or a shields for somebody greed.
WILSON WILL - March 3, 2011 at 10:05 am