PETALING JAYA: The Attorney-General’s Chambers has filed a notice of appeal to challenge former home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s acquittal of charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from a company handling a foreign visa system.
According to a source the notice was filed at the High Court in Shah Alam at 4.40pm today.
The attorney-general, Idrus Harun, later confirmed the filing. He told Bernama in a text message: “Yes, the prosecution has filed an appeal against the decision of the High Court in DS Zahid’s case this afternoon.”
The appeal comes days after Idrus had said the prosecution would study the judgment of High Court judge Yazid Mustafa who had ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Zahid.
He said three key prosecution witnesses in the case were unreliable and not credible. He also said they led a luxurious lifestyle and owned expensive property and vehicles, giving credence to an inference that the alleged bribe money could have been distributed among the three.
Zahid, 69, had been accused of 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd between 2014 and 2018 while he was home minister.
The prosecution said the alleged bribes were to extend the firm’s contract to handle a foreign visa system and a one-stop centre in China.
Zahid had also been charged with seven other counts of obtaining for himself the sums of S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company in connection with his official duties. - FMT
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