KUALA LUMPUR – The Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court’s decision to acquit Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of 40 corruption charges linked to the foreign visa system (VLN).
During the proceedings today, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) deputy head of the appellate and trial division Datuk Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim told the court of the withdrawal, citing the AGC’s acceptance of Zahid’s representations.
A three-member bench, chaired by Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali, then struck out the prosecution’s appeal.
Yusaini told the court that the AGC, after examining the entire case, found no evidence to show that Zahid had used his position directly to award the contracts.
“Evidence shows that the contracts were awarded before the respondent (Zahid) assumed the position of home minister. This negates the existence of opportunities and or space for the respondent to abuse his power,” he said.
In September 2022, Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa, then a high court judge, had acquitted Zahid of the charges after ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the Umno president.
The prosecution subsequently filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Zahid was initially charged in June 2019, with the accusations against him then including 33 counts of receiving bribes totalling SG$13.6 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd between 2014 and 2018 in his capacity as home minister and deputy prime minister under the previous Barisan Nasional government.
This was in relation to extending the company’s contract as the operator of the one-stop service centre (OSC) in China and the VLN as well as maintaining its contract with the Home Ministry to supply the integrated VLN system.
He was alleged to have committed the acts at Seri Satria, Presint 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
For seven other charges, he was accused of receiving cash payments amounting to SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs, and US$15,000 for his personal benefit from the same company, which he allegedly knew had links to his official position.
Zahid was accused of committing these offences at a house in Country Heights, Kajang, between June 2015 and October 2017. – December 12, 2024