Tuesday, June 26, 2007

So, Eric Chia ain't a crook!

Acquitted. The former MD of Perwaja was accused of CBT involving RM76.4 million. I remember the high-speed car chase on the highway the day they decided to take him in. Today, the Sessions Court acquitted and discharged the 74-year old Eric Chia without calling for his defence.
Was the Prosecution's case that weak?
If Eric Chia is not a crook, who is?
And where did the RM76.4 million go?

update, midnight
Trial leaves him with broken family and no friends, Eric Chia says.
"Yes, I can move on with my life but what about my broken family. You don't have a family. How do you proceed with your life?" he said, adding that he had not seen his children for years.
Chia said that for him, Malaysia was his home and he would live and die here.
Chia said he also lost his friends when the trial began and some of his friends accused him of being a crook. [read the sad story on Bernama here]



38 comments:

  1. Lawyers in this country aren't smart, its the dumb prosecutors who make them look good.

    Their educational background says it all.

    -The Man Who Sold The World-

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  2. Anonymous5:29 pm

    good question. posed it to eric then maybe he can answer. or get the prosecution to answer on his behalf, eh.

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  3. Anonymous6:06 pm

    Forget about this case but just think of the billions gone down the drain on this perwaja project and where that could have been spent for the greater good of the nation. Some may just go sick thinking about it.

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  4. Anonymous7:09 pm

    Anwar Ibrahim have the answer.

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  5. bro,
    "nang boh tee nam...kooi boh tee kooi"
    silap mata by Eric & Co !
    maybe RM 76.4 million sudah kongsi-kongsi, like all our festivities !
    Cheers !

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  6. Anonymous7:27 pm

    It's a 76.4 million Ringgit question, bro. Given the same outcome, i would have personally proffered an answer for 50% of the sum. Any steel mill looking for an Eric-Chia-wannabe ceo anytime soon?

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  7. Anonymous7:33 pm

    Still, no matter what anyone can say about anything, the crux is the matter is what anyone can produce and with full confidence to say in court, beyond reasonable doubt.

    It takes a lot to really nab commercial criminals (white collar crimes). The path these felons took usually are really tricky and getting evidence is the key for the Prosecution's case.

    The Police Force & AG's Chambers are lacking expertise and specialists, able to do good forensic audit and track on sophisticated transactions. Sometime they also need corporate finance / merchant banking like expertise to dissect on complicated cases. They have to rely on other agencies like Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia to provide them the help.

    In the case of the handling of ECM Libra merger with Avenue Capital middle of last year, a few Company's Act and Security Commission's Act were broken. When police reports were made at the Police, they have to refer the investigation to SC and BM, which ended no where.

    Even official protests by Minority Stockholders Watchdog Group Bhd and /or Malaysian Institute of Accountants were also conveniently ignored by SC and BM, if they want to.

    That's why so difficult to bring commercial criminals to justice.

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  8. Anonymous8:38 pm

    Was the Prosecution's case that weak?

    I have the answer. Some of the files for this case have been damaged by the leaking pipes in the court.

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  9. Anonymous9:54 pm

    Talk about the SC... they are but BIG BULLIES....! if u know what i mean!...huh!!!

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  10. Anonymous9:58 pm

    Hi Rocky, we should be asking where did the billions of RM of Perwaja losses go to and not only RM 76.4 mil.

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  11. Anonymous11:05 pm

    Bru

    The Eric Chia arrest and charge represented the first big fish arrested and charged in the early days of Pak Lah's administration.

    It was a signal to the Malaysian public that this PM will be serious in tackling corruption.

    Knowing full well how close Eric Chia was with Dr M, it was also a way to tell people he is different from his predecessor.

    It was a heady time, then, and the spinmasters in the media were quick to point that we are seeing a new era in governance. More arrest... more to be charged... you better watch out, Mr Clean is in town, and he is checking his list twice to see if you have been naughty or nice...

    Now, why do I have a feeling that it was all spin and public relations work.

    cheers

    ps/ someone said the chief spinmaster was spotted at NST, perhaps to spin the outcome of the case

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  12. The AG did it again and again. The next one would be Altantuya.

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  13. Anonymous11:05 pm

    .


    ahhh...

    Another "after effect" of NEP.

    I bet all pro NEP dick heads must be so proud.

    .

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  14. Anonymous11:07 pm

    bigdogdotcom:

    You sound like an apologist, just like in your post on the upcoming Proton briefing for MPs.

    You're too intelligent to hold yourself hostage to the unreasonable.

    As they say, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

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  15. Anonymous11:40 pm

    What RM76.4 million!!!

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  16. Anonymous3:36 am

    ada kala kita menang ada kala kita kalah.

    Apa YANG ADA manusia selalu leka dan lupa ..bang.

    "SIFAT NYA BARU DAN BERUBAH UBAH"

    SALAM UNTUK ABANG ATAN.

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  17. Looking at all the postings I am convinced all of you are morons always missing the forest for the tree! Always think you all know but the fact of the matter is you all are pretending to be smart using a limited, very limited, English vocabulary to express and to make you all appear smart!
    Here is the real story. First of all my late sister was Eric Chia's private secretary she told me many things which will remain confidential until I die!
    This is what I know on my own finding. When Eric Chia was most powerful, he was more powerful than Wan Mokhtar the former Mentri Besar of Terengganu! Eric Chia was more powerful that all the Umno Division chiefs put together, including the current Menteri Besar.
    When Eric Chia wanted a piece of land for the workers quarters he just ask as a matter of courtesy to the DO and just built houses for his workers.
    So One day a man called Daim called him and said I want to take over and you will resign and you will cite ill health for you resignation. So Eric said go suck a duck to this man Daim, Eric said it was Mahathir who asked me for this job and only him can tell me, confidently Eric asked Mahathir and the man told Eric "just do what he wants Eric" in Malay and a Kedah dialect! Eric relented, and Eric than was heard as saying that for the first time ikn his life he was glad that he was Chinese and not a Malay for it is very sad to be one, full of betrayal and corruption.
    When my sister died I was told he cried! The RM76 million is just a cover for a bigger loss! It worked for some group!
    Well Uncle Eric, my late father only taight me two things in the world, that is there are good and bad people and you are one of the former!

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  18. Rocky,
    As soon as Eric was charged in court I knew for a fact that this was all a sandiwara - to give credence to the PM's election promise to fight corruption.
    (Remember the slavish media went to town with praises for the PM).
    One need not be a lawyer to tell you that the charge itself was weak and the prosecution fought the case half-heartedly.
    Next to be freed will be Kasitah.
    As I said elsewhere in your blog, there is no corruption in high places in Malaysia.
    It is only the lowly civil servants and police constables who are not the take.
    Our politicians are impeccably clean.

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  19. Eric Chia got free
    For over a decade we wait
    Now the Court let him walk
    What happen to the $76.4 million question?

    The Session Court didn’t ask for his defence
    He was told he is free
    The 73 years old tycoon couldn’t believe it
    For now he can walk

    We read about dragging on this case
    For over 13 years it was said
    By the end of the day
    People got nothing else to say
    It had become stale news
    Only the hanging question remains

    White collar crimes
    The SC and BNM should act cohesively
    Don’t drag their feet reading reports
    By the time they finish it
    The tracks all have gone

    The AG should study it carefully
    When there is no case to answer
    Drop it for another day
    Don’t drag it through
    It doesn’t look good end of time

    Eric Chia walks free
    The tax payers lose
    For the incompetence of presenting this case
    Who will answer the $76.4 million question?
    Ah….this is Bolih land mah!

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  20. Anonymous9:58 am

    All lawyers are the crooks. U know why?

    because they use crooked tactics to get crooks out of the mess they are in.

    Wonder how much of the amount Eric's lawyers got?

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  21. Anonymous10:03 am

    Curtan calls. Eric Chia bows out. The scriptwriters sleep blissfully until ......

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  22. Anonymous10:42 am

    Sessions Court judge Akhtar Tahir said the charge against Chia was "weak". Total lack of direction by the prosecution in preferring the main charge and alternative charge against Chia.The Japanese witnesses’ statements were not properly filed. The Swiss evidence as it was bound by a Federal Court ruling — made during a revision of the case on Jan 31 — that the evidence did not meet requirements under the Evidence Act and Criminal Procedure Code. The charge has to be precise and specific. The most glaring mistake by the prosecution was in not calling two material witnesses — R. Dorai Rajasingam, the lawyer and company secretary for Perwaja, and Otani, the director of the engineering consultant department at NKK Corporation. Question is why? The prosecution has failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused on the main and alternative charge.

    Can anybody tell how much taxpayers money was used in preparing this bungled case? Was the bungling done on purpose? We've now another high profile case going on. Will it end again by the judge saying there's no prima facie case ? It's anybody's guess.

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  23. Anonymous12:30 pm

    so now bigdog cannot accept the court ruling and lay blame to system? lina joy in reverse? cannot accept the fact that eric is not the corrupt one?

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  24. Anonymous1:30 pm

    Two things struck me:

    1. The way the report appeared in the star - it didn't appear as the main headline, but squeezed between paris hilton - a case of toning down?

    2. In an immediate and violent reaction the DPP said HE WILL DEFINITELY APPEAL! - he he he ...joking lah, what he said was he will discuss with AG whether to appeal or not... that's how convinced and committed he is to win the case...sigh..

    Poor terengganu folks breaking their backs working in that mill - untuk sesuap nasi

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  25. Anonymous2:45 pm

    They can have 30-50 prosecutor.
    Infact they can called upon 100 prosecutor.
    If you dont called upon the correct people. Its a waste of time.

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  26. The Attorney General chambers come alive when prosecuting Opposition Party members - illegal assembly, sedition or publishing false information (Irene, Lim Guan Eng), or OSA (Ezam).
    For murder, and cases against VIPs the chamber is impotent.

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  27. Anonymous5:49 pm

    Looks like another deliberate "buang" case by the prosecution. Maybe the powers that be cannot risk having Eric Chia singing like a canary if the case proceeds further. Maybe that's why the accused in the Altantuya murder mystery is smiling these days.What else can you expect when the judiciary is beholden to the Govt and the Attorney General is no better than a civil servant. The man who pays the piper calls the tune, remember? With our top cop under a cloud of suspicion and our courts more or less impotent, what hope is there for us ordinary Malaysians?

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  28. Anonymous6:32 pm

    I think before the case started...many people already believed that it will be a wayang..

    No way they can risk a full scale revelation if they find him guilty.

    Eric also has files of his own

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  29. When Pak Lah went on this clean campaign he thought it was going to be a smooth sweep. When you use a vacuum cleaner you cannot suck out the mess under the carpet. Malaysians can be carbet-baggers but never learnt to be carpet-lifters. If Eric was told to make his defence, can you imagine the number of big guns (Eric's 200 hands on the table when he put his hand on the table!!!!). So, acquit him, says someone in Putra Jaya, and lets get on with our lives...boleh kan?

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  30. Anonymous8:10 pm

    Sorry, judgement is only for us proles, plebians, and 'rakyat marhain'.

    Money Talks, Bullshit Walks

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  31. Anonymous11:35 am

    eric chia - he ain't heavy, he's my brother and he ain't a crook!

    he just borrowed that RM76 mill and loaned it to Frilsham.

    if the judge ain't sendin' you to jail, you ain't a crook. you can take that to the bank!.

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  32. I knew Eric will win the trial. There isn't any prove in such a high profiled corruption case. They better make an arrest only when they have the next time.

    Eric Chia is actually a very good businessman. He brought prosperity to the country in many ways, giving employment and economy a boost.

    Too bad, maybe next time.

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  33. HIGHLIGHT:
    Trial leaves him with broken family and no friends, Eric Chia says.

    COMMENT:
    The most important thing in this world is $$$ MONEY $$$.

    What say you, people? .. What say you?

    Hehehehe....

    Regards,
    http://sagaladoola.blogspot.com

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  34. Who put EC there? Anwar?

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  35. Anonymous11:45 pm

    movie making is expensive, my friends.

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  36. Anonymous3:25 pm

    This, my friend, is the Malaysian Story, like so many others - stories for our next generation. The legacy we will be passing to our grandchildren

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  37. Anonymous8:13 pm

    Where da money went? Where da money went? Far, far away! (sung to the tune of where your PAPA Gone)

    Esteemed Malaysians we all know the monies are in the private swiss banks accounts of EC&MM cronies. Malaysia Sentiasa Boleh!

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  38. I see a lot of the people here aren't happy with Eric Chia's acquittal. I don't much about Malaysian politics but I have personally met and served Eric on my flights and I think he is a good man. I blog about Eric before at http://bohtong.blogspot.com/2006/10/rich-uncultured-and-rude-passengers.html

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