KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption and money laundering trial here had an earlier break for lunch, to enable his lawyers time to check and retrieve some documents necessary for the court case.
At 11.21am, Ahmad Zahid’s lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh informed the court that the defence team needed time to get these documents to court.
“I would like to ask the court for an early lunch break, there is a reason why, I’m missing some part of my documents which we should bring to court,” he said.
“My apologies, my honest mistake, we would like to ask for an early lunch break, which will continue 2.30pm if Yang Arif will allow me time to get my documents that are missing,” he said.
High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the trial could still carry on with the prosecution continuing to cross-examine Ahmad Zahid and asked how the documents would affect the trial.
Hamidi, however, said that the prosecution would be moving on to question Ahmad Zahid on three corruption charges involving RM13.25 million of alleged bribes which the latter was said to have received from businessman Junaith Asharab Md Shariff, adding: “And I believe these are the documents which I do not have right now.”
Asked by the judge on what had happened to these documents, Hamidi said: “I think we left one box of documents... I need to check first, that’s why I’m asking for an early lunch break. Sincerest apologies.” While the prosecution said it would be mostly referring to compiled exhibits if it refers to any documents, Hamidi said there were other documents which he did not have with him in court.
“There are other documents which have also been tendered to court, but not in the compiled exhibits, those are the documents which I did not bring to court today, so sorry,” he said.
At around 11.25am, the judge then allowed the earlier lunch break in order to give Ahmad Zahid’s legal team an opportunity to gather those documents to follow the line of the prosecution’s cross-examination and set 2.30pm for the trial to resume.
It is understood that Umno’s division leaders were said to have been called for a special meeting at 11am today at the Umno’s headquarters at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre.
The Umno meeting was said to be an emergency meeting with Ahmad Zahid.
Ahmad Zahid was sighted back in the courtroom at just slightly before 2.30pm when the trial was scheduled to resume.
The trial then continued in the afternoon with the prosecution cross-examining Ahmad Zahid on the bribery charges linked to cheques from Junaith Asharab.
This trial is scheduled to continue tomorrow, with Hamidi informing the judge today that Ahmad Zahid’s lead defence lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik would not be attending tomorrow as the latter would be going to the Federal Court tomorrow instead.
Hisyam is the counsel or lawyer for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, whose final appeal against his conviction over the misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds will continue to be heard by the Federal Court tomorrow.
