KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial could not go on today, as the deputy prime minister has to attend a Cabinet meeting, his lawyer confirmed today.
Zahid’s lead defence lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said the defence applied this morning in chambers for today’s proceedings to be postponed, but confirmed the trial will proceed tomorrow morning.
“We applied for adjournment this morning because Datuk Seri has got to attend a Cabinet meeting, the court has allowed for the day to be taken off. We will continue tomorrow, the case will continue tomorrow,” he told reporters when met at the court complex here.
Zahid’s trial was initially scheduled to continue today before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, with Zahid’s lawyers initially expected to continue cross-examining the seventh defence witness and Zahid’s former secretary Datuk Rosiah Osman.
Zahid was not sighted in the court complex today, with only the lawyers from both the prosecution and defence team seen in the courtroom.
The hearing dates previously scheduled for this trial are August 1 to 3, August 7 to 10, August 21 to 24, September 4 to 8, October 30 to 31, November 13 to 17, November 20 to 24, and December 11 to 15.
Zahid, who is also Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman, is facing 47 charges in this trial.
The 47 charges are namely, 12 counts of criminal breach of trust in relation to over RM31 million of charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges of over RM21.25 million in alleged bribes.
Yayasan Akalbudi was founded with the purported objectives of receiving and administering funds for the eradication of poverty and enhancing the welfare of the poor.
