Kuala Lumpur: The High Court here today ruled that a man alleged to be Datuk Paiman Shakimon, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for cheating and falsifying documents, is not the businessman but an Indonesian national.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin stated that the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that Aldrin Pratama Widjaja, 65, who is also a businessman and the respondent, is Paiman, during the inquiry proceedings to determine Paiman’s identity.

In his brief judgment, Muhammad Jamil emphasized that the Indonesian Embassy confirmed the man’s identity as Aldrin Pratama based on the authenticity of his passport. Personal documents such as the Indonesian identity card, driving license, and firearm permit were all registered under Aldrin Pratama’s name.

The judge noted that the thumbprint specimen provided by the National Registration Department (NRD) indicated a close match to the name Paiman Bin Shakimon. He pointed out that a “close match” suggests an inconclusive search process, raising doubts about the thumbprint’s link to Paiman Bin Shakimon.

Furthermore, Muhammad Jamil highlighted discrepancies in the identity card numbers, as the birth dates for Aldrin Pratama and Paiman did not match. Aldrin’s birth date is listed as June 1, 1960, while Paiman’s is recorded as March 23, 1959, which the prosecution failed to explain.

The inquiry proceedings lasted six days, starting on September 18 of the previous year, with the prosecution calling 13 witnesses. Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul represented the prosecution, while lawyers Datuk Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria and Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik defended Aldrin Pratama.

Paiman was initially sentenced to 26 years in prison by the Sessions Court on April 19, 2011, for cheating and forging documents involving RM12 million in an investment fraud case between 2005 and 2006. The sentence was reduced to 13 years, ordered to run concurrently.

In 2012, Paiman absconded when his appeal for leave came up at the High Court, leading to an arrest warrant and a warrant of imprisonment issued against him. He was apprehended in 2021 after entering Malaysia with an Indonesian passport under the name Aldrin Pratama Widjaja, and his fingerprint under the NRD biometric system indicated a match with Paiman Bin Shakimon.

Following the Court of Appeal’s directive, the High Court conducted an inquiry to establish the man’s identity, resulting in today’s ruling.