Datuk Suhaili claims trial for cheating

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, who was due to be reappointed as Labuan Corporation chairman this week, claimed trial here yesterday to cheating a bank manager 13 years ago.

Former Labuan Corporation chairman Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (left) and his lawyer Rakhbir Singh have 10 months to prepare for his trial, set for February.

The former Labuan member of parliament is alleged to have used a different identity to secure a loan and overdraft facility to purchase a property at Api-Api Centre here in April 1996.

Suhaili is alleged to have signed, as a guarantor, a document called an Application for Accommodation Face Sheet for a term loan of RM110,000 and an overdraft facility of RM50,000 using Ahmad Suhaily Abdul Rahman (NRIC H0552181) as his identity.

Sessions Court judge Caroline Bee Majanil set five days to hear the trial from Feb 8 to 12 next year and set bail at RM20,000, with RM3,000 deposited, in one surety.

Counsel Rakhbir Singh, appearing for Suhaili, was up against deputy public prosecutors Kelvin Morais and Joyce Blasius
The prosecution claimed Suhaili used the document to convince then Malayan Banking Berhad manager Ismail Jantan to approve the loan application, which was eventually approved to Syarikat Saraequity Sdn Bhd.

Today, Suhaili is expected to be charged in the magistrate's court with giving a false statement in a statutory declaration signed by a justice of peace in 1995.

Suhaili said his term as chairman of Labuan Corporation, the administrative body of the island federal territory, ended on March 31.

"The appointment was supposed to be renewed this week but with this case on, I am not too sure if it will be. This will depend on a decision by the Federal Territories minister," he said after posting bail.

Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin recently took over the ministerial post from Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique.(NST)