PUTRAJAYA: The court has struck out an appeal brought by a former political secretary to obtain more details of a money laundering charge involving RM2.1mil against him.
A three-member Court of Appeal panel chaired by Datuk Azahar Mohamed unanimously allowed the prosecution's preliminary objection to strike out Hasbie Satar's appeal on the grounds that the matter he sought to appeal was not appealable.
Hasbie, 41, is the former political secretary to Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop who is also a former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Economic Planning Unit.
He was appealing against the decision of the High Court in Penang which had on June 19, 2012 dismissed his application for revision of the Butterworth Sessions Court's decision which denied him permission to get more details of the charge preferred against him.
In his ruling, Justice Azahar held that the High Court's decision was not appealable to the Court of Appeal by virtue of Section 3 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 because the ruling did not finally dispose off Hasbie's rights.
Justice Azhar also rejected the oral application made by Hasbie's counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to stay the ongoing trial at the Sessions Court pending disposal of his appeal to the Federal Court on the matter.
Instead, Justice Azahar told Muhammad Shafee to make a formal stay application.
Court of Appeal judges Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim sat on the panel with Justice Azahar.
The trial at the Butterworth Sessions Court is scheduled to resume on May 19.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Anselm Charles Fernandis had told the court that 33 prosecution witnesses have testified in the trial for the past two and half years and the prosecution intend to call five or six more witnesses before closing their case.
Hasbie was charged on Feb 11, 2011 in the Sessions Court with accepting gifts and gratification by an agent at an apartment in Teluk Air Tawar, Butterworth on Feb 11, 2010.
Hasbie had made a preliminary objection at the Sessions Court on April 8, 2011 seeking for more details on the charge to which the Sessions Court subsequently ordered the prosecution to supply the details.
On May 13, 2011, the prosecution, complying with the Sessions Court ruling, tendered an amended charge against Hasbie to include the details.
Dissatisfied with the amendment to the charge, Hasbie made another preliminary objection stating that the amended charge was "groundless" and defective and sought for more details on the charge.
The Sessions Court, however, dismissed his preliminary objection and he brought the matter up to the High Court for revision to which was also dismissed. - Bernama
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