PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has fixed Aug 20 to hear an application by former Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony to review a previous Court of Appeal decision upholding his conviction and sentence.

Peter was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and fined RM50,000 for falsifying documents related to a maintenance and service contract at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

A three-member panel led by Judge Azman Abdullah set the date after determining that the court should examine the earlier panel's full written grounds of judgment affirming the conviction.

"Having considered the submissions and affidavits filed, we note that the arguments touch upon the broad grounds previously provided. Therefore, we find it necessary to review the full written judgment," said Azman, who sat with Judges Lim Chong Fong and Dr Lim Hock Leng.

Earlier, Peter's counsel, Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, requested a new date to be fixed, noting that his client is currently serving as the assemblyman for Melalap.

He submitted that Peter may be affected by the impending dissolution of the Sabah state legislative assembly, which is anticipated to occur in September.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin did not object to the request for a new date.

On March 14, Peter filed a notice of motion seeking a review and setting aside of his conviction and sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal on March 4.

He also applied to quash the warrant of committal issued to Kajang Prison and sought any consequential orders necessary to ensure justice is served in the matter.

On March 4, the Court of Appeal ordered Peter to serve a three-year prison sentence after dismissing his final appeal against the conviction and sentence imposed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in May 2022.

On April 18, 2023, the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld the conviction and sentence imposed by the Sessions Court.

Peter subsequently filed an appeal on April 19, 2023, seeking to set aside the said decision. He has since paid the RM50,000 fine imposed by the court.

Peter was charged under Section 468 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment and a fine upon conviction.

He was accused, in his capacity as managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd, of falsifying a letter from UMS' office of the deputy vice-chancellor dated June 9, 2014, by inserting false statements with the intent to deceive.

The offence was allegedly committed at the office of the principal private secretary to the Prime Minister, Perdana Putra Building, Putrajaya, between June 13 and Aug 21, 2014. - Bernama