Judge Kamarudin Kamsun, who was scheduled to deliver the verdict today, said there were still some arguments that needed to be submitted by the parties involved.

“I need to listen to those arguments before making a decision. So, I can’t make a decision today, hence a new date will be set,” he said.

Lawyer Salehuddin Saidin, representing Latif, 56, and his son, Ahmad Fauzan Hatim, 30, then applied for the court to hear the submission by the defence.

During the proceedings, the court heard submissions by the prosecution, represented by the deputy director of the legal and prosecution division of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, and assisted by deputy public prosecutors Ahmad Akram Gharib and Mahadi Abdul Jumaat.

On June 14, 2017, Latif, Fauzan and Amir Shariffuddin Abd Raub, 49, were charged with 33 counts of corruption and four counts involving money laundering amounting to RM35.7 million. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On April 21, 2019, Kamarudin acquitted and discharged the three of the 37 charges after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case.

However, on Nov 7, 2021, the High Court ordered the former chairman of the state housing and local government committee and the other two to enter their defence on the 37 charges, following a ruling by judge Abu Bakar Katar that the sessions court had erred in its decision.

On the corruption charges, the three were charged under Section 28 (1) (C) of the MACC Act 2009, read together with Section 16 (a) (B) of the same Act.

They were also charged under Section 32 (8) (c) and Section 89 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti -Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities (Amla) Act 2001.