KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is expected to be charged on Thursday (Aug 27) under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act.
His defence counsel Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad said the Bera MP will be charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
"Yes, he will be charged tomorrow at the Sessions Court," he said when contacted on Wednesday (Aug 26).
Previously, the Sessions Court here postponed proceedings involving the former prime minister.
Sessions Court Judge Suzana Hussin fixed the date for the reading of the charges and recording of Ismail Sabri's plea, which will take place at 9am on that day.
"Considering the accused's health condition, and upon request by the defence counsel which has been agreed on by the prosecution, the court allows for this proceeding involving the reading of charges and recording of plea to be carried out at 9am on Aug 27," she said on Aug 7.
Amer Hamzah had recorded the defence team's appreciation to the prosecution team for understanding their client's situation.
He said Ismail Sabri had already experienced health complications when his statement was recorded at the MACC headquarters on Thursday (Aug 6).
He added that Ismail Sabri is still under MACC bail and that there are no concerns of him absconding.
Ismail Sabri has since successfully undergone a leadless pacemaker implantation procedure at the National Heart Institute (IJN) for an abnormal heart rhythm.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan said the prosecution did not object to the application for postponement as Ismail Sabri's health did not warrant his presence in court.
"It is only fair, on humanitarian grounds, that we do not object to this application. We have also agreed that once he is discharged and fit to take the plea, Aug 27 will be a suitable date," she said.
