KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has dismissed the widespread perception that his ongoing corruption trial will be dropped following a power shift in the government.
Instead, he has vowed to fight on in court to clear his name.
The Umno president said he wants to clear his name by going through a full trial without asking the prosecution to drop the charges.
Touching on the adjournment of his case today, Zahid said the High Court vacated proceedings only for one day.
"The trial will resume as normal tomorrow.
“I want the court to decide even though my case is politically motivated and I view it as selective prosecution,” he said in a statement today.
Zahid’s trial was vacated today after he informed the court that he needs to meet newly-appointed Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss the formation of a new government.
Zahid’s lawyer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said his client's presence is crucial in the meeting with Muhyiddin.
“My client will be in discussions with the Prime Minister as regards the formation of Cabinet.
“So on this basis, we ask the court to grant adjournment of this morning’s proceedings,” he said before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequearah.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran said she will leave the matter to the judge's discretion.
“I think it is only fair for the accused to be allowed to help in the formation of Cabinet for the sake of the country, and we are all involved in some way or another,” she said.
Sequerah then allowed the defence’s application and adjourned the case to tomorrow.
Ahmad Zahid, 67, is facing 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit of funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.