KUALA LUMPUR: Former Sabah Infrastructure Development minister Datuk Peter Anthony has been found guilty of using false documents relating to a system maintenance contract nine years ago.
Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi made the decision today after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt against the accused.
Azura will sentence Anthony soon.
Peter is facing a maximum jail term of seven years and fine under Section 468 of the Penal Code for committing the offence.
He was ordered to enter his defence against the charge on Dec 14, 2021 after Azura ruled that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against him.
The prosecution rested their case on Sept 21, last year, after calling a total of 15 witnesses in the trial which began on April 5 the same year.
Among the witnesses who testified in the trial were former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, former chief justice Tun Zaki Tun Azmi and former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer S. Devanandan.
Anthony, 51, as the managing director of Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd was accused of using a forged letter from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) deputy vice-chancellor's office with the intention of deceiving the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
The document was in regards to a purported collaboration with UMS to fund and set up an M&E technical training centre via direct negotiation in July 2014.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya between June 13, 2014, and Aug 21, 2014.
The Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president was also charged with an alternative count of using a false document as genuine, namely a letter from the office of the deputy vice-chancellor of UMS dated June 9, 2014, which had a false statement in the title of the letter, and he had reason to believe that the document is false, at the same place and time.
The charge under Section 471 of the same Act, is punishable under Section 465 of the same law, which carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both, if convicted.