PUTRAJAYA: The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has yet to make a decision on Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s request to review the prosecution’s appeal against his acquittal on 40 corruption charges over the foreign visa system (VLN).
DPP Abdul Malik Ayob said there has been no decision on the representation letter sent by the Deputy Prime Minister.
“At the moment, there is no decision, but the hearing of the appeal is set for March 18,” he said at the start of the VLN case hearing before Justice Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail.
Justice Hadhariah, who chaired a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal, asked if the hearing date would be maintained, and Abdul Malik replied yes.
Sitting with Justice Hadhariah were Justices Datuk Azman Abdullah and Datuk S.M. Komathy Suppiah.
Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik led the defence.
Last November, the Court of Appeal set March 18 to hear the prosecution’s appeal against Ahmad Zahid’s acquittal.
The Shah Alam High Court acquitted and discharged him of all charges in 2022 after ruling that the prosecution had not made out a prima facie case against him.
The prosecution then filed a notice of appeal on Dec 29, 2022, but Ahmad Zahid submitted his representation to the AGC in January last year.
The Umno president had pleaded not guilty to 33 counts of accepting bribes totalling S$13.56mil from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of a one-stop centre (OSC) service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain its contract with the home ministry to supply the VLN integrated system.
He also claimed trial for 33 alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, where he was charged in his capacity as then home minister with receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56mil in relation to the VLN system between 2014 and 2017.
For the other seven charges, he was alleged to have obtained for himself cash of S$1,150,000, RM3mil, 15,000 Swiss francs, and US$15,000 from the same company, which he knew had a connection with his official functions.
