Cancelled: Arrest warrant for Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman

(Source: The Star)

IPOH: The arrest warrant for Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Jailu was cancelled after he produced a medical certificate (MC) to justify his absence from his corruption trial last week.

Sessions Court Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh cancelled the order after receiving Mohd Osman’s MC, which was issued for four days from Feb 9 to 12 by the Selayang Hospital.

“My client was warded at the hospital’s cardiac care unit as he was unwell.

“He is due for his next appointment on Feb 27,” defence counsel Abdul Roni Rahman told the court Thursday.

The MC was issued on Feb 10, the day corruption charges were scheduled to begin against Mohd Osman, 57, involving a multimillion-ringgit project in Seri Iskandar, Perak Tengah.

Last August Mohd Osman, together with four others including 52-year-old Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, claimed trial in separate courts to 16 corruption charges amongst them.

The other three were PKR politician Usaili Alias, 56; Perak State Development Corporation technician Ruslan Sahat, 46, and then Perak Tengah district councillor Zul Hassan, 45.

A month later, businessman Fairul Azrim Ismail, 31, was charged with accepting a woman as sexual gratification from one Mohamad Imran Abdullah to help the latter secure the project.

Met outside the court later, Mohd Osman, whose grim expression in the dock had been replaced by a smile, told reporters he would be returning to his kampung (village) to rest.

Asked what had been wrong with him, he said: “Sakit jantung (heart ailment). I had heart pains and was admitted to the CCU.”

Mohd Osman appeared healthy and was puffing away on a cigarette while speaking to reporters.

Asked to comment on state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar’s move to suspend and bar Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his six exco members from state assembly sittings, Mohd Osman said:

“I reserve my comments.”

Hearing of the case will continue on June 15 and 16.

Mohd Osman's resignation from PKR, part of the Pakatan Rakyat alliance which took control of Perak after the general election last march, played a big part in seeing Barisan Nasional taking over the state government.