VLN case: AGC yet to decide on Ahmad Zahid’s representation letter for prosecution to drop appeal
PUTRAJAYA: There is no decision yet by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on the representation letter sent by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to review the prosecution’s appeal against his acquittal involving 40 corruption charges, the court heard.
Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob said this at the beginning of the foreign visa system (VLN) case hearing before Justice Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail.
Abdul Malik told the Court of Appeal on Monday (Jan 29) that the representation letter has not been decided yet.
“At the moment, there is no decision yet on the representation, but the hearing of the appeal is set for March 18 this year,” he said.
Justice Hadhariah, who chaired a three-member bench, then asked if the hearing date would be maintained, and Abdul Malik replied yes.
Sitting with Hadhariah was Datuk Azman Abdullah and Datuk S.M Komathy Suppiah.
Meanwhile, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik led the defence counsel.
Last November, the Court of Appeal set March 18 to hear the prosecution’s appeal against Ahmad Zahid’s acquittal on the 40 corruption charges.
Ahmad Zahid submitted the representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in January last year for the AGC’s consideration not to pursue its appeal.
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In 2022, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted and discharged Ahmad Zahid of all the charges after ruling that the prosecution had not made out a prima facie case against him.
The prosecution then filed its notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal.
The Umno president had pleaded not guilty to 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56mil from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for himself as home minister to extend the company’s contract as the operator of a one-stop centre (OSC) service in China and the VLN system as well as maintain its contract with the home ministry to supply the VLN integrated system.
Ahmad Zahid was alleged to have committed those offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
He also claimed trial to 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.
Ahmad Zahid allegedly committed the offences at a house in Country Heights, Kajang, between June 2015 and October 2017.
In its petition of appeal filed on Dec 29, 2022, the prosecution submitted 14 reasons focusing on the findings of fact and law made by the High Court judge on the question of whether there was bribery in the giving and receiving of money in the case.
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