Sessions court Judge Azura Alwi granted Abdul Latif Rahim the discharge after the prosecution made an application. Latif will be made a prosecution witness, deputy public prosecutor Adam Mohamed said.
“The attorney-general’s chambers (AGC) considered the application by the defence to drop the charges against Latif after two representations were submitted to the AGC three months ago.
“Therefore, we requested that the accused (Latif) be granted a discharge and the court granted the application,” he said.
The trial of Azeez and his brother was supposed to continue before Azura today. However, it has been vacated after the prosecution informed the court that High Court Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin had allowed Azeez’s application to adjourn the trial pending his application to quash the three corruption charges and 10 money laundering charges he is facing.
According to Adam, Azeez did not attend today’s proceedings and lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik had produced a medical certificate on behalf of the accused valid from Feb 5 to Feb 11.
Meanwhile, lawyer Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos, who is representing Latif, said he had applied for his client to be acquitted outright on the two charges.
Azeez, 54, who is also Baling MP, is charged with three counts of accepting bribes totalling RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah as well as 10 counts of money laundering.
He is accused of committing the offence at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur 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 area between March 8, 2010, and Aug 30, 2018.
Latif, 63, was accused of abetting him in obtaining a RM4 million bribe from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah as gratification to help Syarikat Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd secure road projects through limited tender from the works ministry.
The project involved the Pantai Baru Coastal Expressway Project, upgrading works of Federal Road FT005 (Teluk Intan to Kampung Lekir, Perak) valued at RM644.5 million.
He is accused of committing both offences at Affin Bank, Pusat Bandar Puchong in Selangor on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018.