Prosecution Objects To New Defence Bid To Discredit Key Witness

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Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is standing trial on charges of money laundering and CBT involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects when he was the home minister. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial has objected to the defence’s attempt to further discredit the character of its key witness.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran told the court that parts of Fadzlette Othman Merican’s witness statement about Major Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly were irrelevant and inadmissible.
Fadzlette, who is the second defence witness, was press secretary to Zahid when he was in public office between 2011 to 2018.
“Certain paragraphs in the statement were put in to damage the character of Mazlina. This cannot be done under the Evidence Act because Mazlina’s credibility has been challenged extensively by the accused’s lawyers during cross-examination (at the prosecution stage),”
Raja Rozela said.
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She said the line of questioning in the witness statement should be disallowed as it was irrelevant and inadmissible.
“I conclude that Your Lordship has the power to decide how much of this witness statement is relevant to the trial,” she submitted before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
The lead prosecutor raised the objection as it was found that Fadzlette’s witness statement contained attacks on Mazlina’s character.
Mazlina, who is Zahid’s former executive secretary, worked for him when was the home minister and deputy prime minister between 2013 and 2018.
Zahid’s lead counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said Fadzlette’s witness statement was given to the prosecution within the 14-day deadline before she took the stand.
“There was no advance objection from them,” he said, urging the court to give him until tomorrow to respond.
Raja Rozela said the prosecution was not required to give notice about their objection as this was basic evidential rule.
Sequerah adjourned the proceedings to tomorrow for the defence to make its submission.
Previously, Zahid had also testified that Mazlina had used Yayasan Akalbudi’s cheques to pay for his credit card bills without his instruction, knowledge or agreement.
He had told the court that Mazlina also used a stamp carrying a replica of his signature on Yayasan Akalbudi cheques to settle the bills.
Zahid said Mazlina, under cross-examination by his lawyers during the prosecution stage, had also admitted that she was negligent in handling his credit card payments.
Zahid, who is the Umno president, is standing trial on charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister.
Twenty-seven charges are for money laundering, 12 for CBT, and eight for corruption. - FMT

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