Court allows stay of Azeez’s corruption, money-laundering trial
KUALA LUMPUR: The trial of former Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim on three counts of receiving kickbacks and 10 money-laundering charges related to road projects has been postponed.
The High Court allowed Azeez’s application for a stay of proceedings pending his appeal at the Court of Appeal to have the charges struck out.
Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin allowed the application after finding that the circumstances warranted a stay until the appeal was disposed of.
“I have heard submissions from the defence counsel and read the affidavit supporting the application. The prosecution also did not object to the application and in such circumstances, the court is more inclined to allow this application.
“The application is, therefore, allowed,” the judge said.
Earlier, Azeez’s counsel, Amer Hamzah Arshad, submitted that it was important for the appeal to be heard first.
He said in the event the defence succeeded in the appeal, it would put an end to the entire trial and it would save the court’s time, costs and the need to call in witnesses.
“The fact that the prosecution did not object to the stay application shows that they appreciate the dynamics of the proceedings that there is no prejudice to the state.
“There would be no prejudice to the prosecution, rather it will prejudice the applicant if the stay is not allowed,” he said, adding that case management of the appeal had been fixed for June 8 at the Court of Appeal.
Deputy public prosecutor Adam Mohamed told the court that the prosecution has no objection against the application.
“We received the notice of appeal and affidavit on April 9. We have also received instructions (from the Attorney-General’s Chambers) not to object to the application,” he said.
Azeez filed the application for a stay of his trial on April 8.
On Dec 11, the Baling member of parliament filed an application to strike out the 13 charges against him, claiming that they were defective, groundless and made in bad faith.
The court had on March 12 dismissed the application after finding that the accused had failed to show how he was confused and prejudiced by the lack of particularisation of the charges.
The defence had on the same day filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal against the decision.
On Jan 16, 2019, Azeez was charged with three counts of accepting bribes totalling RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah, as well as 10 counts of money laundering. He is accused of committing the offences at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 8, 2010, and at Affin Bank, Pusat Bandar Puchong in Selangor on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018, while the money-laundering offences were allegedly committed in the Klang Valley between March 8, 2010, and Aug 30, 2018.
Azeez was initially charged with his brother, Abdul Latif, 63. Latif is accused of abetting Azeez in obtaining a RM4 million bribe from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah to help Syarikat Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd secure road projects through a limited tender from the Works Ministry.
The projects involved the Pantai Baru Coastal Expressway Project and upgrading federal road FT005 (Teluk Intan to Kampung Lekir, Perak), valued at RM644,480,000.
However, on Feb 8, Latif was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal of the abetment charges to become a witness against his brother.
So far, seven prosecution witnesses have testified in the trial which began on Aug 19, last year.