Court sets Aug 20 to hear Peter Anthony's bid for review
PUTRAJAYA : The Court of Appeal today fixed Aug 20 to hear an application by former Sabah infrastructure development minister Peter Anthony to review a previous Court of Appeal decision upholding his conviction and sentence.
Peter was sentenced to three years in prison and fined RM50,000 for falsifying documents related to a maintenance and service contract at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
A three-member panel led by Justice Azman Abdullah set the date after determining that the court should examine the earlier panel's full written grounds of judgment affirming the conviction.
'Having considered the submissions and affidavits filed, we note that the arguments touch upon the broad grounds previously provided. Therefore, we find it necessary to review the full written judgment,' said Azman, who sat with Justices Lim Chong Fong and Lim Hock Leng.
Peter's counsel, Haniff Khatri Abdulla, had requested a new date, saying his client served as the assemblyman for Melalap.
He submitted that Peter might be affected by the impending dissolution of the Sabah state legislative assembly, which is expected to occur in September.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin did not object to the request for a new date.
On March 14, Peter filed a notice of motion seeking to review and set aside the conviction and sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal on March 4.
He also applied to quash the warrant of committal issued to Kajang prison and sought any consequential orders necessary to ensure that justice is served in the matter.
On March 4, the Court of Appeal ordered Peter to serve a three-year prison sentence after dismissing his final appeal against the conviction and sentence imposed by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court in May 2022.
On April 18, 2023, the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld the conviction and sentence imposed by the sessions court.
Peter subsequently filed an appeal on April 19, 2023, seeking to set aside the decision. He has since paid the RM50,000 fine imposed by the court.
Peter was charged under Section 468 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment and a fine upon conviction.
He was accused, in his capacity as managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd, of falsifying a letter from UMS's office of the deputy vice-chancellor dated June 9, 2014, by inserting false statements with the intent to deceive.
The offence was allegedly committed at the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister, Perdana Putra Building, Putrajaya, between June 13 and Aug 21, 2014.
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