DPP retracts letter asking judge to prioritise Zahid’s trial
KUALA LUMPUR: The deputy public prosecutor in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial has retracted a letter asking High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah to prioritise the Umno president’s court case. DPP Abdul Malik Ayob, a member of the prosecution team in Zahid’s case, said this matter was now considered over…
KUALA LUMPUR: The deputy public prosecutor in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial has retracted a letter asking High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah to prioritise the Umno president’s court case.
DPP Abdul Malik Ayob, a member of the prosecution team in Zahid’s case, said this matter was now considered over following the withdrawal of the letter.
“As such, there is no such application before the court. Let us proceed with this case,” he told the hearing this morning.
Sequerah said no one could dictate what case was to be given priority in this court.
In the letter, Malik had said he was instructed to ask Sequerah to prioritise Zahid’s corruption trial over former prime minister Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial, which the judge is also presiding over.
“This request is being made to ensure that the trial of (Zahid’s) case, which is at the defence stage, can be finished as soon as possible,” said the letter.
Zahid’s lead counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said the letter could be construed as applying pressure on the court.
“We hope this trial will be conducted according to the rule of law,” he said.
The letter to Sequerah’s secretary was sent yesterday afternoon, with a copy extended to Zahid’s defence team. Some had questioned the authenticity of the document after it had gone viral on social media.
When contacted, the ad hoc prosecutor for Najib’s 1MDB trial, Gopal Sri Ram, said he had informed Sequerah last Thursday that he could give priority to Zahid’s case.
“I told the judge that Zahid’s case is at the defence stage while Najib’s is still at the prosecution level,”’ he told FMT.
Zahid is standing trial on 47 charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister.
The former deputy prime minister, as the first defence witness, is now being cross-examined.
Meanwhile, Najib is facing four charges of using his position as then prime minister to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB, and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount. — Free Malaysia Today