Lawyers down with Covid-19, so Ahmad Zahid’s graft trial put off

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has postponed the hearing of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (pic) corruption case relating to Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB) funds to Aug 22 as two of his lawyers are down with Covid-19.

Aiman ​​Abdul Rahman, another lawyer representing the former deputy prime minister, told Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah that lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh had both tested positive.

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“We have filed a letter with the court on Aug 2 and 3 informing (it) that lawyers Hisyam and Hamidi are infected with Covid-19 and we request that the date of today’s (Friday, Aug 5) hearing be changed to mention and the hearing to continue on Aug 22,” he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob did not object.

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Following this, Justice Sequerah vacated Friday’s hearing date and set Aug 22 to continue.

Early this year, the court ordered Ahmad Zahid to enter his defence on 47 charges, 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption, and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit of funds belonging to charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi. – Bernama