KUALA LUMPUR – Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been instructed to refrain from attending any meetings at least a week before his trial date to avoid any more postponements of his corruption trial.
The former deputy prime minister’s corruption case was postponed once again today after he failed to appear in court because he was undergoing quarantine.
According to the Malay Mail, Zahid’s absence was due to him attending the Umno Supreme Council meeting in Janda Baik.
The meeting was also attended by Hulu Langat division chief Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz, who later tested positive for Covid-19.
In granting the adjournment, high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said that the accused should take better precautions to avoid disrupting the trial.
“Yes, it’s unpredictable – but not unavoidable,” Sequerah was quoted as saying. “This is not the first time we have been forced to vacate this trial because of the same reason.
“Please impress upon your client in the future that at least a week before the trial to not be present in such meetings otherwise this case will never conclude.”
Zahid’s lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh told the court that the Umno leader needed to undergo a 10-day quarantine and a swab test after he attended two meetings with Johan last Friday, prior to being informed of the infection.
However, Sequerah instructed Zahid’s lawyers to remind their client of the importance of the trial, adding it should take precedence over other matters.
The judge also pointed out that a previous postponement was caused by a similar incident. “Maybe impress upon him that as much as he has an official duty to manage, it is also incumbent on him to attend court, and that his trial is no less and is as important as his other business. Please impress upon him the importance of this trial,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran pointed out that this was the third postponement brought by the defence due to exposure to Covid-19.
The prosecution also called for supporting documents to prove the claim by Zahid’s legal team.
Concurring with the DPP, Sequerah requested for the Umno president’s team to submit the relevant documents, which included Johan’s test results as well as Zahid’s exemption from travel restrictions by the National Security Council (NSC).
Zahid’s lawyers, however, contended that the NSC regulations were beyond the court. This was sternly rebutted by the judge, who said that it was an issue for the court due to the repeated postponements.
“Of course, it is the concern of the court, because it has disrupted the timetable, trial dates have to be vacated – and this is, of course, the business of the court,” Sequerah said. “You cannot be saying that an Umno Supreme Council meeting in Pahang, which is beyond state borders, is not the court’s concern.” – The Vibes, February 22, 2021
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