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The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) is still deliberating on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's plea for the prosecution to withdraw its appeal against his acquittal on 40 corruption charges related to the foreign visa system (VLN) contract. Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob conveyed this information to the Court of Appeal's three-member bench, chaired by Justice Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail.
The scheduled hearing for the prosecution's appeal remains on March 18, as determined earlier by Justice Hadhariah. Ahmad Zahid, who was exempted from attending the case management, submitted the representation to the AGC in January of the previous year.
The Shah Alam High Court acquitted and discharged Ahmad Zahid on September 23, 2022, concluding that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him. Subsequently, the prosecution filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal.
The charges against the Umno president involved pleading not guilty to 33 counts of receiving bribes totaling S$13.56 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB). The alleged bribes were for extending the company's contract as the operator of a one-stop centre (OSC) service in China and the VLN system, and to maintain its contract with the home ministry for the VLN integrated system. The offenses were said to occur between October 2014 and March 2018 in Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang.
In addition to the 33 charges, Ahmad Zahid faced 33 alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code. These charges related to receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million concerning the VLN system between 2014 and 2017. Furthermore, seven charges alleged that he received cash of S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs, and US$15,000, knowing the connection with his official functions, between June 2015 and October 2017.
The prosecution's petition of appeal, filed on December 29, 2022, outlined 14 reasons, focusing on the High Court judge's findings of fact and law regarding the presence of bribery in the monetary transactions involved in the case. — Bernama
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