KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2): Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial has been vacated until 2023, pending a decision in the Court of Appeal (COA) on his application to obtain witness statements from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). 

Zahid’s lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik applied for the postponement on Wednesday (Nov 2) in the High Court here before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, as the COA will hear the appeal on Nov 14.

He said that once the COA makes its ruling, the case, which is now in Zahid’s defence stage, will have a better sequence, and the defence will have a clearer picture of the number of witnesses to call.

Zahid is in defence against 47 charges, including alleged criminal breach of trust of RM31 million belonging to charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi, which the former deputy prime minister leads.

Hisyam also asked for the postponement of the trial this week, as two defence witnesses from Bagan Datuk are unable to be present in the court for the remainder of the week. 

He asked for the dates to be vacated, and told the judge that the defence is willing to accept the addition of more dates to replace this adjournment. 

Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob had no objection to the request, and said that it was up to Sequerah’s discretion. 

The judge then allowed the adjournment, with the trial set to resume on Jan 16.

The next trial dates are Jan 16 to 19, Jan 30 and 31, Feb 7 to 9, March 27 to 30, April 10 to 13, and May 15 to 18.

Zahid, through his lawyers, have called six witnesses to testify in his defence thus far. 

The appeal in the COA comes after a decision by Sequerah on May 9 to dismiss Zahid’s bid to gain access to statements of 15 witnesses recorded by the MACC.

The judge ruled that the documents were privileged documents, and should not be shared with the defence. He also ruled that sharing the recorded statements would be against public policy, as it may lead to tampering of witnesses.

Zahid, who is the incumbent Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament, was ordered by Sequerah to enter his defence in respect of all 47 corruption charges in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Twelve of them are criminal breach of trust charges, followed by eight for graft, and 27 for money laundering.