Ahmad Zahid gets release of passport from court to perform umrah

KUALA LUMPUR: Former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can now travel to perform his umrah after the High Court here today allowed his application for his passport to be released.

High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah granted the UMNO president's application after lead prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran said the prosecution had received instruction not to object to the application.

She further said as the dates Ahmad Zahid needed to perform the umrah clashed with the trial dates of April 26 to 28, the vacated days should be replaced with new dates.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid's lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said the defence hoped his client's passport would be released today as he needed it for his visa application.

"My client would be away from April 21 to April 30 and pledged the passport is to be returned before May 5," he said.

Justice Sequerah then fixed April 13 and 15 as well as July 1 as the substitution dates for trial.

Before this, the court had fixed May 23-26, June 27-30, July 4-7, Aug 22, 23, 29 and 30, Sept 19-22 and 26-29, Oct 17-20 and 31, and Nov 1-3, 7-10 for trial.

On April 13, Ahmad Zahid will testify in his defence trial on 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving Akalbudi Foundation funds.

On Jan 24 this year, Justice Sequerah ordered Ahmad Zahid to enter his defend on all charges after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case.

In October last year, the High Court also allowed a temporary return of his impounded passport to enable him to seek medical treatment from a leading specialist in Munich, Germany for back and neck pain.

-- BERNAMA