KUALA LUMPUR: Baling MP Azeez Abdul Rahim, who is facing corruption and money laundering charges totalling RM144.5 million, has filed an application to quash all the charges.
Lawyer Hisyam Teh informed Sessions judge Azura Alwi that the defence filed the striking out application on Dec 11 before the High Court.
“We are asking the court to adjourn the hearing today,” he added.
Deputy public prosecutor Adam Mohamed said the prosecution received the striking out application from Azeez recently. “We do not object to the defence’s application to postpone the hearing today,” he said.
Azura, however, decided that the hearing should go on. She said the court would not forbid the accused person’s right to put in any applications but said the trial needed to proceed as there was no order to stay the proceedings before her.
The court also heard testimony from a witness from the Road Transport Department (JPJ), Azrin Abdul Razak today.
Azrin said he received a request from Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Muhammad Afnan Abdullah for information on Azeez’s Toyota Vellfire.
Azeez, the former Tabung Haji chairman, has been slapped with three corruption charges amounting to RM5.2 million and nine money laundering charges amounting to RM139.3 million.
He was said to have received the RM5.2 million from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah, the director of Syarikat Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd, in the Klang Valley between December 2010 and April last year.
Azeez is accused of receiving RM139.3 million from four companies: Syarikat Menuju Asas, Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd, Pintas Utama Sdn Bhd and AVP Engineering Sdn Bhd.
His brother Abdul Latiff is accused of abetting Azeez on two counts in obtaining a RM4 million bribe, part of the RM5.2 million allegedly received.
The hearing will resume on Feb 8, 2021.