Not guilty plea: The two star witnesses in Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu’s ex-aide’s graft trial at the court for perjury charges. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Two star witnesses in a corruption trial involving a former political secretary to Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu found themselves in the dock at a Sessions Court here.
Zainudin Abdul Majid and Ahmad Hisham Mohd Tajuddin, who are brothers from the same mother, face five charges and four charges each for perjury.
Zainudin, 53, was charged with five counts of giving contradictory statements during the trial of Public Prosecutor v Mohd Azhar Che Mat Dali at a Sessions Court on March 23 and July 4, 2023.
His statements in the trial were reportedly not in line with the statements he gave to an investigating officer of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Nov 2, 2022.
The charge under Section 27 (2) of the MACC Act carries a maximum RM100,000 fine or imprisonment of up to 10 years or both, if convicted.
Meanwhile, his older brother Ahmad Hisham Mohd Tajuddin, 54, was charged with four counts of a similar offence, committed at the same trial on May 9 and June 9, 2023.
Zainudin and Ahmad Hisham pleaded not guilty to the offences before Sessions Court judge Siti Aminah Ghazali yesterday.
Deputy public prosecutors Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir and Farah Yasmin Salleh offered bail at RM30,000 in one surety for each of the accused.
The prosecution also sought additional bail conditions where the accused are required to hand over their passports to the court until the disposal of the case and to report their attendance to the MACC office monthly.
Lawyer Wan Shahrizal Wan Ladin, who represented the two, asked for a lower bail amount of RM5,000.
He noted that his clients are no longer working, and that as such, any amount above RM5,000 would make it impossible for them to pay bail, he said.
He also said that their mother is paralysed.
“The offence they are accused of did not involve any harm to other people,” Wan Shahrizal said.
Siti Aminah fixed bail at RM10,000 in one surety for each of the accused. She also imposed additional bail conditions.
The court fixed Feb 26 for mention in both cases.
