PUTRAJAYA (Sept 18): There is no decision yet on the letter of representation sent by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in February over the prosecution’s appeal against his acquittal in the foreign visa system (VLN) case.
As a result, Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron fixed Nov 17 for another case management for the court to update the status.
Deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim represented the Attorney General's Chambers, while counsel Hamidi Md Noh appeared for Zahid.
Zahid, who is also the Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament, was already given a discharge by the Kuala Lumpur High Court last month from 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and graft against him involving millions of ringgit in the Yayasan Akalbudi fund.
The Shah Alam High Court in September last year had acquitted the Umno president of 40 counts of graft with regard to the VLN case without calling his defence.
The 40 charges comprised 33 charges under Section 16(A)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, and seven charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code.
Judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa, who has since retired, ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case, and questioned the size of the brown envelope that Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd directors Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, as well as former administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun had purportedly used to deliver foreign currencies, mainly Singapore dollars, to Zahid.
Yazid further said that their evidence for the delivery of cash monies was not corroborated, as there were no CCTV recordings or pictures tendered, unlike in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case, in which independent witnesses testified on the delivery of millions of cash in bags.
Subsequently, the prosecution filed an appeal against this decision.
It is understood that the records of appeal are ready, and the petition of appeal has already been filed.