KUALA LUMPUR: After a few days taking the stand to defend himself in a corruption case involving Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB) funds, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pix) will be cross-examined by the prosecution tomorrow.
High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered for the cross-examination to proceed tomorrow as he did not want the trial to be delayed.
“My (trial) dates are at a premium. We carry on,“ said the judge.
At the outset, Ahmad Zahid’s counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik asked for the cross-examination to be postponed pending the hearing of a stay application which was fixed for July 7.
Justice Sequerah said he could not allow the stay of the proceedings until he made a decision on the stay application.
Hisyam then requested for the stay application to be heard tomorrow, saying there must be a complete defence before the cross-examination to give his client a fair trial.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran objected to hearing the application tomorrow because the prosecution was not prepared as it has been been fixed for July 7, and they needed time to file their affidavit-in-reply.
The judge said he needed to balance the demands of both sides and ordered the prosecution to file its affidavit this week, while bringing forward the hearing date to July 4.
Ahmad Zahid filed the application to stay his defence proceedings pending a decision by the Court of Appeal on his appeal to obtain copies of the recorded statements of defence witnesses from the Malaysian Anti -Corruption Commission (MACC).
Based on the supporting affidavit filed with the application, Ahmad Zahid said he was advised by his lawyer to obtain copies of the recorded statements to ensure ‘corroboration’ between his testimony and their testimony, so as not to jeopardise his right to a fair trial.
The witnesses include his daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah, his brother Datuk Seri Mohamad Nasaee Ahmad Tarmizi and businessman Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa.
Last May 9, the High Court dismissed Ahmad Zahid’s application to obtain the recorded statements of 15 witnesses from the MACC on grounds that it could expose the witnesses to intimidation, like being threatened to give evidence that would be different from what was in the recorded statement.
Ahmad Zahid is making his defence on 47 charges, namely 12 charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight charges of corruption, and 27 charges of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to YAB. — Bernama
