Decision on whether Ahmad Zahid will be freed or to enter defence to be known on Sept 23

SHAH ALAM: The High Court here will decide this Sept 23 on whether to free or order former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to enter his defence on the 40 charges of receiving bribes in connection with the Foreign Visa System (VLN).

High Court Judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa set the date today after hearing the submissions by both parties at the end of the prosecution case.

The judge also thanked the prosecution and the defence for their oral submission.

The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Abdul Malik Ayob, Zander Lim Wai Keong and B. Thavani , while Ahmad Zahid was represented by lawyers Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal and Hamidi Mohd Noh.

The prosecution closed its case last Aug 11 after calling 18 witnesses, including former Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Alwi Ibrahim and three former Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) directors Harry Lee Vui Khiun, Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani and David Tan Siong Sun .

Ahmad Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as Home Minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of OSC service in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the Home Ministry.

On another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss Franc and US$15,000 from the same company which has official links with his official duty.

He was charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018.

-- BERNAMA