KAJANG – High court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is presiding over Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial, today visited two bungalow units in Country Heights, Kajang, which were allegedly bought using Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
The bungalows were bought, purportedly for use as a Quran study centre for retirees and tahfiz students.
Judge Sequerah arrived at the site at about 10.40am accompanied by several police vehicles and a police patrol car.
Accompanying the the judge were deputy public prosecutors Harris Ong Mohd Jeffrey Ong and Abdul Malik Ayob. Also present were Zahid with his panel of lawyers, comprising Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Hamidi Mohd Noh and Datuk Zaidi Ahmad Zainal.
They visited the two bungalows and left at about 11.25am back to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.
Members of the media, who had been waiting at the site since 10am, were also in the tour after getting the permission of all parties, including the management of the luxury housing area.
Last July 6, judge Sequerah acceded to a request by the defence for a site visit to the bungalows in the interests of justice.
According to Hisyam, the visit would give a clear picture as regards to the current status of the bungalows, their location and the distance of both bungalow lots to the Surau An-Nur.
The court had been informed that Zahid contributed RM5.9 million to Yayasan Al-Falah for the purchase of the two bungalows through a cheque by Messrs. Lewis & Co, which is the trustee of Yayasan Akalbudi which belonged to the former deputy prime minister.
On January 24, the court ordered Zahid to enter his defence on 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight charges for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi. – Bernama, August 1, 2022
