KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Former Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim’s lawyer has rejected the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) assertion that his client chose to appear in court wearing a purple lock-up shirt and handcuffs yesterday.
In a statement, Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad said police instructed Azeez to change from his normal clothes into purple lock-up attire and handcuffed him before taking him to court for a remand hearing.
After a two-day remand order was granted, Amer said Azeez was taken directly to another courtroom for the MACC charge to be read without being given an opportunity to change.
“At all material times, our client remained under the custody and control of the police. The handcuffs placed on him were also by the police and not by the MACC,” he said.
“Accordingly, our client’s appearance in the purple lock-up attire and handcuffs during the subsequent MACC proceedings was not a matter of his personal choice,” he added.
Amer said he was “flabbergasted” by the MACC’s account, adding that Azeez reserved the right to take legal action against anyone who published what he described as a false or misleading version of events.
Azeez yesterday pleaded not guilty to using his position to influence TH’s decision to invest RM190 million in Putrajaya Perdana Bhd, a company in which he was alleged to have an interest, and was granted bail of RM450,000.
Separately, he was remanded for two days until tomorrow following an application by Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department, with reports suggesting he is being investigated under anti-money laundering laws.
