Yayasan Akalbudi: Pengurusan kes Badan Peguam cabar DNAA Zahid 14 Jun

On 7th May, the High Court permitted the Bar Council to commence proceedings to challenge the decision of the State Attorney-General on 4th September 2023 to halt proceedings against Zahid Hamidi. KUALA LUMPUR: The Supreme Court has set 14th June 2027 for the management of the Bar Council's application to challenge the decision of the prosecution to cease the corruption case involving Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi.

Justice S Indra Nehru determined the relevant date after Bar Council lawyer Abhilaash Subramaniam informed Zahid and the State Attorney-General's lawyer that they would receive justice after appealing to the Federal Court on 8th October last. Consequently, we request the date for the hearing of the application for an appeal hearing (in the Supreme Court) to be heard after the Federal Court appeal proceedings have concluded, during the management of the application.

The Supreme Court also ordered that the management of the application on 14th June 2027 be conducted via electronic review before the Deputy Registrar (Supreme Court). Abhilaash stated that as of now, the hearing date for the appeal has not been determined and will take some months, including completing the appeal record and written submissions.

During that hearing, Public Prosecutor Safiyyah Omar, representing the State Attorney-General, agreed to the proposal, while lawyer Guok Ngek Seong, representing Zahid, also confirmed his position. On 8th October last, a three-judge panel headed by Chief Justice of Malaya Hashim Hamzah permitted Zahid and the State Attorney-General to appeal against the High Court's decision to allow the Bar Council to commence an appeal to challenge the prosecution's decision to halt the corruption case against Zahid.

Sitting with Federal Court judges Nordin Hassan and Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali, they ruled that the case raises a new constitutional issue of public importance that requires a definitive decision by the Federal Court. On 7th May last, the High Court granted the Bar Council's application to commence proceedings to challenge the State Attorney-General's decision on 4th September 2023 to halt the corruption case against Zahid.

The High Court overturned its decision on 27th June 2024 to reject the Bar Council's application for permission to commence an appeal hearing. Zahid, the second respondent in the appeal, then filed an appeal on 25th May last to obtain permission from the Federal Court. The State Attorney-General, Dusuki Mokhtar, also filed a separate appeal seeking permission to appeal.

In the appeal application, the Bar Council sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that the decision made by then-Supreme Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, now a Federal Court judge, to grant bail and release Zahid from 47 charges of breach of trust, corruption, and embezzlement of corrupt funds in connection with the Akalbudi Foundation was invalid and ineffective.

The Supreme Court permitted the release without bail (DNAA) after the prosecution informed the court that the State Attorney-General wished to withdraw the prosecution against Zahid to investigate new evidence.