KL court temporarily releases Zahid's passport for medical-related travel
Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can fly to Munich, Germany, later this month to treat his back and neck pain.
This followed on the heels of the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision this afternoon to give the green light for the temporary release of Zahid’s passport.
When contacted, the accused’s counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, confirmed...
Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can fly to Munich, Germany, later this month to treat his back and neck pain.
This followed on the heels of the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision this afternoon to give the green light for the temporary release of Zahid’s passport.
When contacted, the accused’s counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, confirmed that Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the application during proceedings this afternoon.
The defence lawyer explained that Sequerah directed that an additional bailor be added as part of the condition for the temporary release of Zahid’s passport’.
“Order granted with additional bailor (condition for temporary passport release),” Hisyam said.
The lawyer said that the additional bailor was present during the proceedings before the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
Zahid is facing 47 charges of money laundering, criminal breach of trust (CBT), and corruption involving monies from Yayasan Akalbudi at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
On March 19 this year, before the Kuala Lumpur High Court, the prosecution closed its Yayasan Akalbudi-linked case against Zahid, after 99 witnesses testified against the accused during the course of a trial that began on Nov 18, 2019.
Since then, the prosecution and defence have been conducting ongoing oral submissions (summation of all arguments presented in the course of the trial) before Sequerah.
Meanwhile, Hisyam explained that earlier in the morning today, the Shah Alam High Court allowed Zahid’s application for the temporary return of his passport so he could fly to Munich for medical treatment.
The defence lawyer added that this was, however, subject to whether the Kuala Lumpur High Court allows a similar application for the temporary release of his passport.
Back in 2018, when Zahid claimed trial to the charges linked to Yayasan Akalbudi, the Kuala Lumpur court ordered him to surrender his passport, which he complied.
Later in 2019, before the Shah Alam court, the accused was charged with another 33 graft charges, this one involving alleged receiving of bribes from company Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd in relation to the Overseas Visa System (VLN).
However, at this point, the passport was already being held in custody by the Kuala Lumpur court.
On Oct 7, it was reported that Zahid’s legal team applied to the Kuala Lumpur High Court for the temporary release of his passport from Oct 26 to Nov 21.
It was also reported then that they would be making a similar application with the Shah Alam High Court.
In relation to the 33 charges before the Shah Alam court, Zahid was alleged to have received S$13.56 million (RM42 million) in bribes from Ultra Kirana, as inducement for him in his then capacity as a civil servant and then home minister, to extend the company’s contract to operate the One Stop Centre (OSC) in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system to the same company by the home ministry.
The prosecution stage of the case’s trial before Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa is still ongoing.
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