KUALA LUMPUR: The decision on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (pic) application to be discharged and acquitted of 47 charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds will be delivered on May 14.
High Court judge Justice Nurulhuda Nur’aini Mohamad Nor fixed the date on Friday (April 24) after counsel Datuk Hamidi Mohd Noh, representing Ahmad Zahid, informed the court that the defence had applied to vacate today’s decision date pending a Court of Appeal ruling next month.
"The court sets May 14 for the decision, subject to the outcome of the Court of Appeal on May 7," she said.
ALSO READ: Zahid seeks to be freed of all 47 charges linked to Yayasan Akalbudi
Earlier, Hamidi said that on Monday (April 20), the defence had filed a letter seeking to vacate today’s decision date pending the appellate court’s ruling.
He added that Ahmad Zahid was exempted from attending today’s proceedings.
The proceedings were also attended by DPP Mohamad Shahrizat Armadan and the Bar's observing lawyer, Collin Andrew.
The Bar filed an appeal against the High Court's decision to reject the application for leave to appeal to challenge the Attorney General's (AG) decision discontinuing proceedings in Ahmad Zahid's case.
On Feb 24, the prosecution did not object to Ahmad Zahid's application to be discharged and acquitted of the charges, but Justice Nurulhuda said that the court would not make a decision on the application until the Court of Appeal's decision in the case involving the Malaysian Bar.
ALSO READ: May 7 decision on M'sian Bar's appeal in bid to challenge Zahid's DNAA
The Bar, as amicus curiae (friend of the court), submitted a letter of objection to Ahmad Zahid's application on the same date (Feb 24), but this was objected to by lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik.
Ahmad Zahid filed the full acquittal application on the grounds that the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) had, through a media statement, decided that there was no further action (NFA) on all 47 charges.
The AGC said on Jan 8 that the NFA was decided after reviewing all the new materials and evidence.
On Jan 12, AG Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar stressed that the decision to classify Ahmad Zahid's case as NFA was made only after the prosecution had carefully studied the six representations submitted by the Umno president.
ALSO READ: AGC decides: Yayasan Akalbudi case closed
Dusuki said the decision by the AGC was not made arbitrarily and the department would not decide on NFA without a comprehensive assessment of the facts, evidence and legal merits of a case.
On Sept 4, 2023, the High Court here issued Ahmad Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on 47 charges of CBT, corruption and money laundering involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is now a Federal Court judge, made the decision after the prosecution informed the AGC that it was discontinuing proceedings against Ahmad Zahid. – Bernama
