Accept court's decision to acquit Zahid, urges PKR lawmaker

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim has urged everyone to accept the Shah Alam High Court's judgment to acquit Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of all graft charges in relation to the Foreign Visa System (VLN).

The PKR lawmaker also called on the judge who acquitted Zahid to make the grounds of judgment public since the case is of public interest.

"When (former premier) Najib Abdul Razak and (his wife) Rosmah Mansor were found guilty and sentenced, we lauded the courts for being fair and free in making such decisions and urged everyone to respect the judgment.

"The same should apply when the Shah Alam High Court freed Zahid of 40 counts of graft.

“Although we are against corruption and are not exactly happy with the judgment on Zahid, we have to respect the court's decision," Hassan (above) said in a statement today.

In acquitting Zahid this morning, Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case and its three key witnesses were unreliable.

Reasons to release grounds of judgement

Hassan said the people must give the judge the benefit of a doubt for freeing Zahid.

"I hope, if the Shah Alam High Court judge has not released the grounds of judgment on why Zahid was released, perhaps it is better if he does so, for public consumption. This is due to two reasons.

"First, the case against Zahid under the MACC Act 2009 is of public interest.

"Secondly, if (Chief Justice) Tengku Maimun (Tuan Mat) and four other Federal Court judges can release their written judgment on the same day as Najib’s sentencing in the SRC International case, then it is only fair for the judge in Zahid's case to do the same," he said.

Hassan further expressed hope that the prosecution will file an appeal against the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

Attorney-General Idrus Harun had reportedly said that he would discuss with the prosecution team and study the grounds of the decision by the judge before filing an appeal. - Mkini