April 8 Hearing Of Zahid S Bid For Macc Statements On Witnesses

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Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is seeking MACC-recorded statements on witnesses to bolster his defence in the Yayasan Akalbudi corruption case.
The former home minister’s counsel Hamidi Mohd Noh said that the application is set to be heard by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on April 8.
“The next date of April 8, 2022 (is for High Court hearing of) submissions regarding the application,” the defence lawyer said when contacted.
Hamidi was speaking after the mention of the application before the High Court this morning.
Zahid (above) is seeking access to the potential witnesses’ statements recorded by MACC in the course of the anti-graft agency’s investigation into the case.
Back on Jan 24, trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered the accused to enter his defence on 47 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), bribery and money laundering linked to tens of millions of ringgit of funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.
Sequerah ruled that the prosecution has established a prima facie (accused has to answer) case against Zahid, involving 12 counts of CBT, eight bribery charges, and 27 money laundering charges.
These are 12 charges under Section 409 of the Penal Code; eight charges under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009; and 27 charges under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The prima facie ruling came at the end of the prosecution’s case, which saw 99 witnesses take the stand in a trial that first began on Nov 18, 2019.
Zahid has chosen to give sworn evidence from the witness stand for the defence stage of the trial.
Trial judge Collin Lawrence SequerahDefence stage begins on April 26
The defence stage is set to begin on April 26, with the accused’s legal team tentatively seeking to call 20 witnesses.
The trial dates are fixed from April 26 to 28; May 23 to 26; June 27 to 30; July 4 to 7; Aug 22 and 23 as well as 29 and 30; Sept 19 to 22 as well as 26 to 29; Oct 17 to 20 as well as 31; and Nov 1 to 3 as well as 7 to 10.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran leads the prosecution team.
For the CBT charges, Umno president Zahid was accused of having used the funds to make six payments for his personal credit cards usage, insurance policy and licence for his personal vehicles, remittances to a law firm, and contributions to the Royal Malaysia Police Football Association.
The offences were allegedly perpetrated at an Affin Bank Berhad branch in Jalan Bunus off Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur, between Jan 13, 2014, and Dec 23, 2016.
Under Section 409 of the Penal Code, the CBT offences are punishable with a maximum jail term of 20 years, as well as whipping, and a fine.
In relation to the eight bribery charges, Zahid was purported to have accepted bribes from three firms - Mastoro Kenny IT Consultant & Services, Datasonic Group Bhd and Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd - as inducement for him, in his then capacity as home minister, to help the companies to secure MyEG projects, supply passport chips, and to be appointed the operator of the migrant visa one-stop centres in Pakistan and Nepal, respectively.
Laid under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009, the offences were allegedly committed at a Maybank branch at Dataran Maybank, in Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, between July 15, 2016, and March 15, 2018.
In regard to the 27 money laundering charges, the Bagan Datuk MP was alleged to have engaged in direct transactions involving income from illegal activities, between March 29, 2016, and April 11, 2018.
The offences were purportedly committed at Malayan Banking Berhad, Dataran Maybank branch, Level 1, Tower A, No 1 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar and Marhaba Enterprise Sdn Bhd, LG 1.15, Fahrenheit88, 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, between March 29, 2016, and April 11, 2018.
Zahid also has an ongoing separate corruption trial before the Shah Alam High Court involving 40 charges linked to the overseas visa system (VLN). - Mkini

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