KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): Former Transport Minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy was today acquitted and discharged by the High Court after the prosecution withdrew three charges of lying to ex-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with regard to a Port Klang Free Trade Zone project.  

Judge Datuk Zamani Abdul Rahim made the decision in his chambers when he presided over the case.

Chan's lawyer, Datuk Tan Hock Chuan told reporters that the prosecution had decided not to pursue all the charges faced by Chan after studying the representations made for him.

He said the prosecution also withdrew the accusations after considering the evidence of witnesses in the case against former Transport Minister Tun Ling Liong Sik who was accused of cheating the government over the same project.

The court also allowed Chan's application that his bail of RM1 million be returned to him.

Chan, 58, who was in the public gallery, seemed happy when Tan announced the court's decision. His supporters clapped and congratulated him. Immediately after that, Chan left the courtroom.

On Oct 25 last year, Ling was acquitted and discharged by the High Court here at the end of the defence case after the court had heard evidence from all the witnesses.

Chan faced three counts of cheating Abdullah into approving Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) as turnkey developer for the development of the delivery hub in the Pulau Indah Free Trade Zone, and modification of the PKFZ site between 2004 and 2006, valued at RM1.9 billion.

He was accused of committing the offence at the Fourth Floor, Main Block, of the Prime Minister's Office in the Perdana Putra Building, Putrajaya.

Chan was accused under Section 417 of the Penal Code which carries a five-year jail sentence, or fine, or both, if found guilty.

Prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Nordin Hassan.