AHMAD Zahid Hamidi has withdrawn his appeal against a high court’s dismissal on his application to challenge the constitutionality of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001.

This relates to the admissibility of documentary evidence on charges framed against him.

Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who appeared for Zahid informed a Court of Appeal three-member bench led by judge Kamaludin Md Said of the withdrawal and applied for the appeal to be struck out.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairi said the prosecution had no objection against the matter.

Kamaludin subsequently struck out the appeal, which was scheduled for hearing today.

The other judges on the bench were P. Ravinthran and Nordin Hassan.

Hisyam told reporters later he filed the notice of discontinuance of the appeal on July 2 and said there were no grounds for the withdrawal.

On November 18 last year, high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah dismissed the former deputy prime minister’s application to challenge the constitutionality of both Acts, ruling that Zahid’s application was premature as the trial had yet to commence. 

Zahid, 67, who is also Bagan Datuk MP, is facing a total of 47 charges – 12 for criminal breach of trust, eight for bribery and 27 for money-laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The trial before Sequerah is set to continue on July 14 and 74 prosecution witnesses have so far testified in the trial. – Bernama, July 7, 2020.