PUTRAJAYA – The prosecution’s appeal against the high court’s decision to acquit Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of 40 charges of corruption in connection with the foreign visa (VLN) system is fixed for another case management on February 17.
The new date was confirmed by sources close to the prosecution as well as Zahid’s counsel Hamidi Mohd Noh, when contacted.
Case management for the appeal was conducted today before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron.
The prosecution filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal on September 26 last year against the Shah Alam High Court’s decision to acquit and discharge Zahid, who is now deputy prime minister, of all the charges after ruling that the prosecution had not made out a prima facie case against him.
In his decision delivered on September 24, last year, high court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa said he found that the notations of “Z” and “ZH” that appeared in Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd’s (UKSB) ledger did not prove that Zahid had received the money or gratification.
The judge also held that the key prosecution witnesses were unreliable and not credible.
The Umno president pleaded not guilty to 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM44.57 million) from UKSB for himself as then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of a one-stop centre service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain its contract with the Home Ministry to supply the VLN integrated system.
According to the charge sheet, Zahid was alleged to have committed the offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
Zahid also claimed trial to 33 alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, where he was charged in his capacity as a home minister with receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million in relation to the VLN system between 2014 and 2017.
For the other seven charges, he was alleged to have obtained for himself cash of S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs (RM71,277), and US$15,000 (RM65,611) from the same company, which he knew had a connection with his official functions.
He was charged for allegedly committing the offences at a house in Country Heights, Kajang, between June 2015 and October 2017.
In its petition of appeal filed on December 29 last year, the prosecution submitted 14 reasons focusing on the findings of fact and law made by justice Yazid on the question of whether there was bribery in the giving and receiving of money in the case. – Bernama, January 10, 2023
