KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — The defence trial of former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who was charged with accepting a RM2 million bribe from a businessman which was scheduled to commence today until Friday at the High Court here, has been vacated. 

Deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim said the court vacated the hearing dates following the implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO) beginning March 18 until end of this month to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“The prosecution received an email from the court on March 19, notifying that the new trial dates have been set from April 1 until April 3 and from April 7 until April 8. Any postponement of the trial dates should be filed in by April 1,” she told Bernama via a WhatsApp message today. 

Julia who leads the prosecution team in the trial said the defence would be calling another two or three witnesses to testify during the proceedings before Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.

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“Tengku Adnan chose to testify under oath from the witness stand on the first day of the defence proceedings on Jan 17, continued on March 4 and he gave his last evidence on March 5,” she added 

On Oct 14 last year, the High Court ordered Tengku Adnan, 69, to enter his defence on the charge after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie in the case.

Tengku Adnan was charged in his capacity as a public servant, namely, the Federal Territories Minister then, to having accepted for himself RM2 million from Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong who is also the asset management director of Kayamas Sdn Bhd (AKSB) via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to AKSB which was later deposited into the CIMB Bank account of Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd in which he had an interest, when it was known that Aset Kayamas had connection to his official duties.

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The offence was allegedly committed at the Pusat Bandar Damansara branch of CIMB Bank Berhad here on June 14, 2016.

Tengku Adnan is being charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both, if convicted. — Bernama