Tengku Zafrul to testify in Muhyiddin’s trial in July

KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz will be the next prosecution witness to testify in former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s corruption trial, the High Court heard today.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin informed Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin that Tengku Zafrul would take the stand at the next hearing on July 6.

Muhyiddin’s counsel, Amer Hamzah Arshad, told the court that the defence had yet to receive Tengku Zafrul’s witness statement.

“I was made to understand that it is lengthy,” he added.

Wan Shaharuddin replied that the prosecution would provide the statement to the defence by June 19.

Tengku Zafrul was finance minister when Muhyiddin was prime minister from February 2020 to August 2021.

Prosecution reprimanded for seeking to vacate hearing date

The judge also reprimanded the prosecution after it applied to vacate tomorrow’s hearing, saying its witness, a public works department officer, would be on leave for Aidiladha which falls on Wednesday.

“I hope this case is given priority like other cases. This is a high-profile case. People are watching and it should be given priority.

“I am sure Tan Sri (Muhyiddin) also wants his case to be concluded quickly. Otherwise, it would affect his movement,” she said, reminding the prosecution to conclude its case by Sept 14.

Ten prosecution witnesses have testified since the trial began in March, with another 20 expected to be called by September.

The prosecution’s 10th witness, Companies Commission of Malaysia assistant registrar R Harshini, earlier verified the corporate records of four entities allegedly linked to the case, namely Mamfor Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Sutracom Sdn Bhd, and KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd.

Muhyiddin, 78, faces seven charges linked to his administration’s Jana Wibawa programme, a government initiative introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist Bumiputera contractors.

He is charged with four counts of abusing his position to solicit RM225.3 million in bribes for Bersatu from three companies and one individual: Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd, and businessman Azman Yusoff.

He is alleged to have committed the offences at the Prime Minister’s Office between March 1, 2020 and Aug 20, 2021.

He also faces three counts of money laundering involving RM200 million, allegedly received from Bukhary Equity and deposited into Bersatu’s accounts at AmBank and CIMB Bank.

The offences are alleged to have been committed at AmBank in Petaling Jaya and CIMB Bank at Jalan Stesen Sentral in Kuala Lumpur between Feb 25, 2021 and July 8, 2022.

The defence team comprises Amer Hamzah, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Rosli Dahlan, Chetan Jethwani, K Kumaraendran, Kee Wei Loon, Low Wei Loke, Siti Summaiyah Ahmad Jaafar, Lee Yei Wei, Tang Jia Yearn, and Joshua Tay.

The prosecution team comprises Wan Shaharuddin, Akram Gharib, Noralis Mat, Mahadi Jumaat, Alis Izzati Azurin Rusdi, and Safari Abdullah.

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today