KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court today allowed former Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) chief executive officer Datuk Zahrah Abd Wahab Fenner’s application to temporarily obtain her passport.
Zahrah, 60, needed the document to travel to New Zealand on Jan 3, for her brother-in-law’s wedding.
Judge Azura Alwi ordered the passport to be released to Zahrah on Dec 23, and returned to the court before Jan 7, 2020.
Apart from that, the court ordered the accused to submit a copy of her travel itinerary to the prosecution by Dec 19.
The court also imposed an additional RM20,000 bail to Zahrah which will be returned to her after she submitted her passport to the court.
In the same proceedings, the court fixed March 9, 10, 30 and 31, from April 6 to April 13, June 1 and 2, from July 6 to 9, from July 20 to 23, from Aug 10 to 14, from Sept 1 to 3, and from Sept 21 to 24, 2020, for trial.
On Oct 2, 2019, Zahrah claimed trial to 33 bribery, abuse of power and abetment charges involving RM5.7 million over contract and tender approvals.
Zahrah was accused of receiving a total of RM5.703 million four years ago as an inducement in approving several SSM-led programmes and appointing companies for contracts.
Her son, Abdulazeez Wan Ruslan, 33, a businessman, also pleaded not guilty to two charges of bribery and two charges of abetting his mother, involving RM160,000, between 2017 and 2018.