Azeez has acute gastroenteritis, appeal decision postponed to Sept 5

PUTRAJAYA - The decision of former Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim to set aside the 13 charges of bribery and money laundering he is facing is postponed to Sept 5.

It was made by the panel of three judges that was chaired by Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said after the appellant's counsel lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad informed his client was being treated at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM) due to acute gastroenteritis.

"My client is now in PPUM due to acute gastroenteritis," he said in front of the three Court of Appeal panel judges chaired by Kamaludin.

Datuk Abu Bakar Jais and Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali were the other two judges present.

Amer also informed that he was still waiting for a response from the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) regarding the representation to pull the charges.

"We had sent the application on June 27 and until now no answers were given," he said.

Therefore, Kamaludin ordered the AGC to immediately give their decision regarding the appellant's application.

"We hope Attorney General (Tan Sri Idrus Harun) or whoever deciding the application... If it is rejected, just reject it, don't leave it hanging like this," he said.

At the same time, the respondent represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ku Hayati Ku Haron stood and informed him that the matter would be presented to the AGC.

Previously, Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court had fixed Aug 30 for the case mention to find out the appeal decision status and the representation progress and the date was agreed by both the prosecution and the defence.

The case had been postponed three times so far.

The Court of Appeal was set to deliver its verdict on Azeez’s case after it had earlier postponed its decision after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said that it was looking into a new lead.

Azeez, 55, had appealed against the high court’s decision on March 12 last year, which dismissed his application to strike out three corruption charges involving RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah, and 10 money laundering charges involving RM13.9 million, which he allegedly received from Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd.

For the three corruption charges, he was alleged to have committed the offences at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur on December 8, 2010, and at Affin Bank, Puchong City Centre, Selangor, on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018.

On the money laundering charges, Azeez was charged with committing the offences in Klang Valley between March 8, 2010, and August 30, 2018