Azeez's appeal to strike out graft, money laundering charges fixed for Sept 6

PUTRAJAYA (June 8): Former Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim's (pictured)  appeal to strike out all his 13 corruption and money laundering charges has been fixed for Sept 6 by the Court of Appeal.

Appellate court deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron fixed the hearing date at case management today.

The date was confirmed by Abdul Azeez's counsel Amer Hamzah Arshad of Amer Bon Advocates to theedgemarkets.com.

On March 12, High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin dismissed the Baling member of Parliament's application to strike out the charges against the politician as he alleges the prosecution against him was mala fide, oppressive and an abuse of court process.

Justice Jamil said Abdul Azeez had failed to prove those key accusations in his application.

“In my view, this case is not an appropriate and proper case for the court to exercise its existing power to set aside and quash the charges against the applicant for him to be acquitted of all the charges,” the judge had said.

Despite not being allowed to strike out the charges, the court had on April 12 allowed for a stay of the hearing at the Sessions Court, pending appeal.

Three prosecution witnesses had already testified in Abdul Azeez's trial before the striking-out application was heard.

Abdul Azeez is facing three counts of bribery involving RM5.2 million linked to road projects in Perak and Kedah, and 10 counts of money laundering involving nearly RM140 million, while his brother Datuk Abdul Latif Abdul Rahim is charged with abetting him.

However, Abdul Latif was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Sessions Court last February, after the prosecution decided to drop the charges against him when they accepted his representation. Following that, Abdul Latif was scheduled to testify against his younger brother.

According to news reports, Abdul Azeez is accused of committing bribery at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak here 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.

It was reported that Abdul Latif is accused of abetting Abdul Azeez in obtaining a RM4 million bribe from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah as gratification to help Syarikat Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd secure road projects through a limited tender from the Ministry of Works.

On Dec 23, 2020, theedgemarkets.com reported that Abdul Azeez had in December that year applied to strike out his corruption and money laundering charges, claiming the charges are defective and groundless.

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