KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 14): Former Sabah infrastructure development minister Datuk Peter Anthony has been ordered to enter his defence over a charge of using false documents relating to a system maintenance contract seven years ago.

Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi delivered the decision on Tuesday (Dec 14) after she found that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against Peter.

“After considering the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, the written submissions and authorities filed, the court is satisfied that the prosecution has succeeded in proving a prima facie case of the charge the accused faces.

“Therefore, the accused is ordered to enter his defence over the charge under Section 468 of the Penal Code,” she said.

Azura fixed five days, beginning from Jan 3 next year, for Peter to enter his defence. 

Peter was represented by lawyer Munawar Kabir Mohd Zainal Abidin, while the prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.

Munawar said that a total of seven defence witnesses will be called in to testify.

“Thus far, seven witnesses will be called, including the ones offered by the prosecution,” he said.

Wan Shaharuddin requested for the defence’s witness statements to be submitted a week prior to Jan 3, to which Munawar responded that he had no qualms about the proposed arrangement.

On Sept 21, the prosecution closed its case after calling 15 witnesses to testify in the trial, which began on April 5 this year, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, former secretary-general of Treasury Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi.

Peter, 50, as the managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd, was charged with forging a letter from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah deputy vice-chancellor’s office dated June 9, 2014 by inserting a false statement in the title of the letter with the intention of using it to deceive the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya between June 13 and Aug 21, 2014.

He was charged under Section 468 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine if convicted.