KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — The defence trial of former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s RM2 million bribery charge, which was scheduled to resume today until Friday at the High Court here, has been postponed.

Deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim, who leads the prosecution team in the trial, said, the court vacated the hearing dates following the extension of the movement control order (MCO) by the government.

“The prosecution received an email from the court yesterday notifying that the trial, which was scheduled to resume from today (April 1) until Friday, has been vacated. So, the court set April 17 for mention to set new trial dates,” she told Bernama via WhatsApp message today. 

The defence is expected to call another two or three witnesses to testify when the trial commence 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 last Jan 17.

He gave his last evidence on March 5.

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.

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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 businessman, Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong who is also director of Aset 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.

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