PERMATANG PASIR, Aug 20 — The controversy surrounding Barisan Nasional candidate Rohaizat Othman’s disbarment took a new twist today when his partner, the one Umno accused of taking their client’s money, appeared to deny the allegation.
Yusri Ishak alleged that the money was used by Rohaizat to open up a branch of the firm in Ipoh and said that the Umno politician cannot deny involvement in the case.
The 38-year-old lost an appeal on Aug 12 against being struck off the rolls of the Malaysian Bar after he blamed his partner for the matter which the Bar Council said involved RM161,000 in client’s money.
Rohaizat is facing PAS’s Mohd Salleh Man Mat Aji in a straight fight for the Permatang Pasir state seat on Aug 25, the country’s eighth by-election since Election 2008.
Umno has dismissed the issue, saying Rohaizat has paid back the money and it is not a criminal case, accusing the opposition of playing up the issue.
Rohaizat was disbarred last year after he was found guilty by the Bar Council’s disciplinary board of misconduct of failing to return the money to the Penang Rubber Smallholders’ Cooperative.
