Prosecution applies to have Ahmad Zahid’s case transferred to KL

SHAH ALAM, July 29 — The prosecution’s request to transfer Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s pending trial here for 33 charges to Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has been fixed for hearing on Aug 14.

Judge Rozilah Salleh set the date today after deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Gan Peng Kun told the court that the prosecution had filed a notice of motion on July 24 to transfer the case so that it could be heard together with Ahmad Zahid’s case in Kuala Lumpur involving seven charges.

DPP also informed the court that a copy of the notice was delivered to the defence via email on July 26.

Meanwhile, the former deputy prime minister’s lawyer, Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal told the court that the defence had earlier on July 15 filed its own notice of motion to transfer the Kuala Lumpur case to Shah Alam Sessions Court.

“Our notice of motion would be heard at Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this Wednesday. We also need time to file our reply affidavit to the prosecution’s notice of motion,” he said.

On June 27, Ahmad Zahid, 66, pleaded not guilty to 33 charges of corruptly receiving RM42.76 million from a company, in relation to Malaysia’s foreign visa system (VLN).

For 26 charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Umno president is accused of accepting S$9.3 million (RM 27. 9 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd. 

The bribe was allegedly an inducement for him as then Home Affairs Minister to extend the company’s contract as a VLN one-stop centre (OSC) in China and to maintain an agreement with the company to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia.

Ahmad Zahid is charged with committing the offences at Country Heights, Kajang between October 2014 and July 2017.

The charges are framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same act, which carries on conviction, a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

For the seven other charges, Ahmad Zahid stands accused as a civil servant, of corruptly accepting SG$1,150,000; RM3,000,000; €15,000; and US$15,000 in cash from the same company which had a connection with his functions as then Home Affairs minister.

He allegedly committed the offences between June 2015 and October 2017, under Section 165 of the Penal Code which carries maximum jail of two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

As for the Kuala Lumpur case, Ahmad Zahid faces seven charges of receiving SG$4.24 (RM12.74) million from Ultra Kirana to extend the company’s contract as the OSC for VLN in 2017.

On October 19 and December 14, 2018 and February 20, Ahmad Zahid claimed trial in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to 47 charges, of which 12 are for breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The case was transferred to the High Court which set November 18 to November 22; December 2 to December 6; and December 9 to December 13 for trial. — Bernama