Lawyers down with COVID-19, Ahmad Zahid's corruption trial postponed

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today postponed the hearing of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's corruption case relating to Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB) funds to Aug 22 as two of his lawyers are down with COVID-19.

Another lawyer representing the former deputy prime minister, Aiman Abdul Rahman, told Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh tested positive forCOVID-19.

"We have filed a letter to the court last Aug 2 and 3 last informing that lawyers Hisyam and Hamidi are infected with COVID-19 and we request that the date of today's hearing be changed to mention and the hearing to continue on Aug 22," he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob did not object to it.

Following which, Judge Sequerah vacated today's hearing date and set Aug 22 to continue the hearing.

Early this year, the court ordered Ahmad Zahid to enter his defence on 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight charges of corruption and 27 money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit of funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

-- BERNAMA