KUALA LUMPUR – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s lawyers have sent a new letter of representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to review his charges over alleged criminal breach of trust amounting to more than RM31 million belonging to his charity organisation, Yayasan Akalbudi.
This was conveyed to the high court here this morning by Zahid’s lawyer, Hamidi Mohd Noh, in the defence’s application to adjourn this month’s hearing to August.
The defence had sent a letter of representation to the prosecution in January.
Hamidi said this new letter of representation, which was sent in late February, has additional “facts and evidence” relating to the charges against Zahid.
In response, deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob told the court that the prosecution was instructed by the attorney-general not to object to the application to postpone the hearing.
Malik said the prosecution needs adequate time to review the letter of representation, which is “voluminous” and has raised several “complex” issues.
“The total of these documents (letter of representation) numbered more than 200 pages and when we perused these documents, there were complex issues that were raised by the defence.
“Thus after consulting with the attorney-general himself, the prosecution was told not to object to the application (to postpone the trial).”
Appellate judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah who presided over the case in the high court here asked Malik to explain the exact timeframe for the prosecution to deliberate on the letter of representation.
Malik responded that the prosecution is also waiting for the conclusion of an investigation being carried out by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) pertaining to matters raised in the letter of representation.
He said MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had also sent a letter to the attorney-general dated February 20, on the matter.
“Any decision we (the prosecution) made must take into account the conclusion of the investigation that they (MACC) are conducting.”
Sequerah then allowed for the trial to be postponed, affecting 16 trial dates up to July.
The court also agreed for the trial to commence in August with another 18 trial days set this year.
Zahid is facing 47 charges with 12 of them for breach of trust, eight charges of corruption and 27 charges of money laundering, involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.
On January 24, 2022, the court ordered Zahid to defend himself against all the charges after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case. – The Vibes, April 10. 2023
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