Ex-sports ministry officer denied fair trial, High Court hears
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Youth and Sports Ministry finance division secretary Otman Arsahd was denied a fair trial due to serious misdirection by the Sessions Court in evaluating prosecution evidence, the High Court heard.
Former finance division secretary for Malaysia's Youth and Sports Ministry, Otman Arsahd, has been denied a fair trial by the High Court in Malaysia. Otman, 67, was convicted of 96 counts, including abuse of power and money laundering, in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of RM284.2 million. The High Court heard that the second Sessions Court judge misdirected the trial by not fully evaluating the prosecution's evidence, particularly the testimonies of 90% of the witnesses.
Otman's lawyer, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, argues that the judge failed to adequately consider all the evidence before convicting and sentencing Otman, rendering his conviction unsafe. The lawyer also questioned the judge's ability to make an informed decision due to not being exposed to all the evidence. Otman's co-accused, who entered into plea-bargain agreements, testified against him during the trial.
The prosecution is represented by Haresh Prakash Somiah and Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul. The hearing continues, with an appeal hearing set for three days before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
