Sequerah said this when postponing Zahid’s hearing, scheduled to resume today, to March 4 after the Umno president came into close contact with a party Supreme Council member who reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.
“I want the prosecution to close its case, which I am confident can happen if there is no disruption,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran told the court this was the third time the trial was being adjourned after Zahid came into contact with individuals testing positive for Covid-19 since last year.
Earlier, defence lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh applied for the latest postponement, saying Zahid had come in close contact with Umno Council member Johan Abdul Aziz, who had reportedly tested positive.
Zahid, who was said to have chaired a party meeting at Janda Baik, Pahang, last Friday, was not present in court today.
Sequerah said the High Court has a schedule to follow, which would be disrupted if there were further postponements.
He fixed the new trial dates for March 4, 5, 18, 19 and 26.
“I don’t want to take any risk which is beyond anyone’s control,” he said.
The judge also ordered the defence to furnish proof that there was a Supreme Council meeting and whether Zahid had obtained permission from the authorities to cross the border.
Hamidi later produced a letter from Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan stating that the meeting took place while the lawyer said the National Security Council had allowed elected representatives to do interstate travel.
At the outset of today’s proceedings, Hamidi applied for the trial scheduled until Thursday to be vacated as Zahid came in close contact with Johan.
“Johan was confirmed yesterday as a Covid-19 patient after a test carried out on Saturday,” he said.
Hamidi said Zahid has to go for a swab test and needed to be quarantined for 10 days and as such the trial this week had to be postponed.
Raja Rozela said the prosecution was ready to conduct the case and have lined up two witnesses today.
She said this was the third time the trial had to be adjourned on the same grounds.
“The first was just before the Sabah state election last year and the second was last month,” she said, adding that a lesson had been drawn from these events.
She said the accused seemed negligent about his well-being and the others involved in the trial.
“He is not taking the case seriously and could be using the meeting to stay away from the trial,” she said.
Sequerah then told Zahid’s lawyers, who also included Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, to tell their client not to attend any meetings a week before his trial resumed.
“If it continues to be postponed, this case will not conclude,” the judge said, adding that it was incumbent on the accused to attend the trial.
Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk MP, is facing 12 charges of criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering, totalling RM117 million.
The prosecution has called 90 witnesses with another eight more to go before it closes its case.
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