Court clears Raja Izzuddin

Perak royalty Raja Izzuddin Iskandar Shah (pic) has been cleared by the High Court here of abetting his former private secretary in cheating a businesswoman and her mother.

The court also upheld the acquittal of Datuk Ibrahim Zulkifli in respect of the principle offence.

Raja Izzuddin, 54, was alleged to have abetted Ibrahim in making Fong Seow Kai Chuan, 38, and Fong Nyok Lan, 69, contribute RM150,000 as “palace funds” to them, telling the daughter at Lot 7127, Jalan Pasar Sambungan, Teluk Intan, between March 11 and April 2, 2003 that her mother would be nominated for the Datuk Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP) award.

Alternatively, Raja Izzuddin was charged with cheating the two women of RM80,000 by telling them at Istana Seri Tambun, Tambun Height, Ipoh, between March 27 and April 2, 2003, that he had a say in the conferment of state awards and that he had supported the nomination of Nyok Lan to be bestowed the award.

Ibrahim, 46, had faced two counts of cheating and an alternative charge. The offences were allegedly committed at Lot 7127, Jalan Pasar Sambungan, Teluk Intan between March 10 and 11, 2003, in respect of the first charge; between March 11 and April 2, 2003, in respect of the second; and between March 11 and 29, 2003, in respect of the alternative charge.

In 2006, the Teluk Intan Sessions Court acquitted and discharged both men of all charges without calling for their defence.

The prosecution’s appeal was heard before Apandi after two Ipoh High Court judges recused themselves on grounds of acquaintance with Raja Izzuddin.

Justice Datuk Mohamed Apandi Ali said among the exculpatory evidence by Kai Chuan was when she said “When YAM (Raja Izzuddin) accepted, YAM told my mother ‘Don’t you think with money can get a DPMP. A DPMP cannot be bought and sold’.”

Another was Kai Chuan’s statement that if she had felt cheated, she would not have paid the money; and a third, her statement that she had not been cheated.

The judge noted that Nyok Lan also said the contribution she made to the palace was voluntary. Counsel S. Selvam acted for Raja Izzuddin and Amrit Pal Singh for Ibrahim. Prosecution was represented by DPP Datuk Azmi Ariffin.