Prosecution's appeal hearing against Zahid's acquittal rescheduled to Dec 12

PUTRAJAYA - The Court of Appeal has rescheduled the hearing for the prosecution’s appeal against Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s acquittal on 40 charges related to the foreign visa system (VLN) contract to Dec 12 as the deputy prime minister will be on official duty overseas.

The new hearing date was set during a case management session before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli today via Zoom. He also fixed Nov 28 for the final case management of the appeal.

The Court of Appeal was initially scheduled to hear the appeal on Sept 9.

Zahid’s lead counsel, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, confirmed the rescheduling when contacted by Bernama.

Hisyam said the defence team requested a postponement of the appeal hearing because Zahid will be attending the 2024 Conference of Global Security Cooperation Forum, scheduled to take place in Lianyungang City, China, from Sept 8 to 10.

Present at the case management were deputy public prosecutors Abdul Malik Ayob and Zander Lim Wai Keong and Zahid’s lawyers, Hamidi Mohd Noh and Aiman Abdul Rahman.

The Court of Appeal was originally supposed to hear the appeal on March 18, but it was postponed after Ahmad Zahid’s lawyers requested a delay to allow the Attorney-General’s Chambers to consider his representations. The court then fixed Sept 9 for the appeal hearing.

Zahid was acquitted and discharged of all charges by the Shah Alam High Court on Sept 23, 2022, without being required to enter his defence. The prosecution subsequently filed a notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal.

The Umno president had pleaded not guilty to 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of a one-stop centre (OSC) service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain its contract with the home ministry to supply the VLN integrated system.

He was alleged to have committed those offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya and Country Heights, Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018.

He also claimed trial to 33 alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, where he was charged in his capacity as a home minister with receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million in relation to the VLN system between 2014 and 2017.

For the other seven charges, he was accused of obtaining for himself cash of S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company, which he knew had a connection with his official functions.

Zahid was accused of committing the offences at a house in Country Heights, Kajang between June 2015 and October 2017.