In a blog posting today, Khir - who yesterday had his 12-month jail sentence upheld by the Court of Appeal - said he had "given up" and expressed pessimism even though he is planning to appeal his corruption case at the Federal Court.
"I do not care anymore if a decision has already been made to jail me as an icon to show that Najib's government is transparent and committed to combating corruption. Let it be," he said.
Khir was convicted for illegally receiving an undervalued mansion as well as plots of lands, and the properties had also been forfeited by the courts.
"Yesterday, my lawyer Shafee Abdullah (right) asked the panel of (Court of Appeal) judges on what was the benchmark to say that the purchase was an inadequate consideration (exchange that is not commensurate in value).
"The question was not answered by the High Court judge or Court of Appeal judges. This means it is impossible for me to get a trial that is reasonable," he added.
Hopes for a 'clear judgment'
Khir said he believed his conviction would be upheld regardless of what evidence he presented, but hoped that the Federal Court would be clear in its judgment during his appeal later.
"At least I hope that the judges will give a clear judgment so that no other civil servant will become like me - a victim that can be manipulated for political expedience," he said.
Khir maintained that he did not engage in corruption and that he had purchased the mansion with his "own sweat".
On another note, he claimed that the witnesses who testified during his trial were either his enemies or had been forced to testify against him as they were charged before him.
"Regardless of the impression of those who do not like me, the fact is, I did not engage in corruption," he stressed.
Msiakini
BUSINESS AS USUAL!
ReplyDeleteWOULD THIS CASE BE A PRECEDENT FOR THE TRIAL OF SABAH MUSA & SARAWAK TAIB?
"Regardless of the impression of those who do not like me, the fact is, I did not engage in corruption" - Khir Toyo.
This was what Taib effectively said in the DUN (state assembly) last week when his Dep. Speaker had gagged an opposition MP criticing his corruption and had the remarks "expunged" from the Hansard.
Bernama reported this as follows:
"Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said the people of Sarawak have rejected the allegation of international corruption watchdog Global Witness against him through the democratic process in the recent general election.
According to Sin Chew Daily, Taib told the state assembly in his winding-up speech yesterday that Sarawak BN – led by himself – won 25 out of 31 parliamentary seats in the state, obtaining more than two-thirds majority.
Not only that, three opposition candidates who have been accusing BN on native customary land issues, and have brought those disputes to the court, were defeated in the parliamentary constituencies of Limbang, Lubok Antu and Sri Aman, he added.
“It means that the people of Sarawak have completely rejected the false allegations by Global Witness, and that they are against and tired of the interference of outsiders into the independence and freedom of Sarawak people,” Taib is quoted as saying.
In March, Global Witness released a video expose of alleged corruption in the Sarawak timber industry by hiring an actor to pose as a foreign timber investor.
In the expose released simultaneously on global TV network Al-Jazeeraand Malaysiakini, the actor made video records of his conversation with close relatives – and self-professed confidants of Taib – who had allegedly offered him land still inhabited by natives and offered to show him how to cheat his way out of paying taxes.
The relatives of Taib were also depicted as being very dismissive of native rights.
Taib dismissed the conversations as “normal business discussions” by several individuals who had overstated their importance and relations to him to try and win business contracts from the actor involved."
If you read the news in the affirmative it is "yes" to corruption, massive election vote rigging, daylight land robbery, and a long list of crimes he did commit over 30 years of his dictatorship.
It is normal business as usual to throw thousands of villagers out of their land and homes so Taib and cronies can steal their timber wealth and then double up by sale of the land and treble up by turning the land into oil palm estates.
The people are now poorer than before 1963.
Life was better before 1963.
Some of us sit until what is left of a scrawny tree and ponder:
No Land No Harvest, No Trees No houses, No Rivers No water, No future No Life!
Life was better before 1963!
With that in mind here is wishing the lucky ones
Real happy Gawai Kaamatan 2013!