SHAH ALAM: The High Court here today allowed an application by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who faces 40 charges of corruption, for the temporary return of his passport to enable him to go to Germany for treatment.
His lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal said the application was made at the Shah Alam High Court before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa.
He said the temporary release of the passport would not affect Ahmad Zahid’s next trial date, which is on Oct 22.
The application is similar to the one made at the Kuala Lumpur High Court last week (where Zahid is facing different charges), he said when met by reporters here. That court has not made a decision yet but it too has to agree before Zahid can travel.
Zahid’s graft charges at the Shah Alam court relates to the extension of a contract to Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to operate the Foreign Visa System (VLN).
At the Kuala Lumpur High Court Zahid faces 47 charges involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.
On Oct 7, lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh, also representing Zahid, said his client had applied to the Kuala Lumpur High Court for his passport to be released on Oct 26 and that it would be returned on Nov 21.
Hamidi informed High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that his client was suffering from back and neck pain and needed to get treatment from a leading specialist in Munich.
At the Shah Alam High Court, Zahid is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and the then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of a one-stop-centre system in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia.
Zahid was also charged with accepting S$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000 (RM75,663) and US$15,000 (RM62,115) in cash – when he was the home minister – from the same company which he knew had a connection with his function as then home minister.-BERNAMA