Ismail Sabri was charged with allegedly failing to comply with a notice requiring him to declare certain assets.
KUALA LUMPUR: The legal team of former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will examine the validity and propriety of the charge against him and may file an application if necessary.
Lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad said the defence had raised concerns in court today over the legality of the charge, which was brought under Section 36 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
READ MORE: Three former PMs at court today for separate cases
READ MORE: Ismail Sabri charged with failing to declare assets
“We did inform the court that we are raising certain concerns about the propriety and legality of the charge. We will definitely study the charge, and if need be, we will definitely file the necessary application,” he told reporters after proceedings at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.
Ismail Sabri was charged with allegedly failing to comply with a notice requiring him to declare certain assets.
Amer Hamzah said the prosecution had initially proposed bail of RM500,000 and sought to have Ismail Sabri’s passport surrendered to the court.
However, the defence objected to both conditions, arguing that the proposed bail was excessive and punitive.
“There is no necessity for his passport to be surrendered.
“He has proven himself to be not a flight risk, and there is no evidence to show that he is a flight risk. He is here to clear his name,” he said.
The court subsequently set bail at RM300,000 and allowed Ismail Sabri to retain his passport.
Amer Hamzah said Sept 29 had been fixed for the prosecution to hand over the relevant documents to the defence.
He also described the circumstances surrounding the prosecution as “a bit peculiar”, pointing to a previous application by the prosecution to forfeit the assets that are the subject of the current charge.
“Under normal circumstances, when you use that particular provision, you have decided that there shall not be any prosecution,” he said.
He said the prosecution had previously stated that, after reviewing the investigation papers, it had decided not to take further action.
“The fact that suddenly now there is a change of heart by the prosecution, that’s something that we have to look into. That’s why we say it’s a bit peculiar. This situation has never arisen before,” he said.
On Ismail Sabri’s health, Amer Hamzah said the former prime minister was recovering and was scheduled for a follow-up appointment at the National Heart Institute (IJN).
“Alhamdulillah, he’s recovering. He’s due for his next visit with IJN as a follow-up. As far as today, we’re glad that nothing untoward happened to him. And let’s keep on praying for his health,” he said.
