KUALA LUMPUR – The prosecution in Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s trial on 47 charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering has closed its case today after calling 99 witnesses.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran told high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the prosecution rests its case after its 99th witness, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigating officer Khairudin Kilau, 44, submitted his evidence.
Sequerah then ordered both parties to file their written submissions before or on May 28 and reply by June 11.
The judge also fixed June 28 to 30, and July 1 and 2, for parties to appear before him for oral clarification, before deciding whether to acquit Zahid on all 47 charges or order him to enter his defence.
Zahid, 68, has pleaded not guilty at the sessions court here to 12 counts of CBT, eight counts of bribery and 27 counts of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.
On February 21, 2019, the high court allowed Zahid’s application to transfer his case from the sessions court to the high court as the prosecution did not object to the application.
For the CBT charges, Zahid was alleged to have used the funds to make six payments for his personal credit cards, insurance policy and licence for his personal vehicles, remittances to a law firm and contributions to the Royal Malaysia Police Football Association.
The charges come under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of between two and 20 years, as well as whipping and fine, upon conviction.
The Bagan Datuk MP is also charged with eight counts of bribery, where he was alleged to have accepted bribes from three companies as an inducement for him, in his capacity as then home minister, to help the companies obtain MyEG projects, supply passport chips and be appointed the operator of the migrant visa one-stop centres in Pakistan and Nepal, respectively.
He also faces 27 charges of money laundering by engaging in direct transactions involving income from illegal activities between March 29, 2016, and April 11, 2018.
He also faces 40 charges of having accepted bribes from a company over the overseas visa system at the Shah Alam sessions court, which brings the total charges against him to 87. – Bernama, March 19, 2021
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