The Court of Appeal’s three-member bench chaired by Justice Hanipah Farikullah allowed an application by the duo’s lawyer, Rajpal Singh, to postpone today’s hearing after the lawyer informed the court that his clients were unwell and could not be present.

Rajpal said a letter had been submitted to the court yesterday stating that Arif, who complained of chest pains on Saturday, was suffering from coronary artery disease and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. Meanwhile, his son, Ahmad Zukhari, had tested positive for Covid-19.

Deputy public prosecutor Mukhzany Fariz Mokhtar did not object to the postponement application.

The court then fixed Aug 21 for the hearing of their appeals.

The other judges in the panel were Justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Zaini Mazlan.

On Nov 14, 2018, a sessions court found Arif, 66, guilty of abetting his son Zukhari’s receipt of SGD$200,000 (RM627,833) from Syarikat Wazlina Sdn Bhd director Safian Salleh.

He was charged with accepting the money as gratification and an inducement to secure a hybrid solar system project in four remote islands off Sandakan, Sabah, worth RM57.5 million, which was awarded to Syarikat Eramaz (M) Sdn Bhd, an associate company of Syarikat Wazlina.

The sessions court sentenced him to a three-year jail term and fined him RM3 million or, in default, three years imprisonment.

Zukhari, 41, a businessman, was sentenced to five years’ jail and fined RM9.6 million or, in default, 10 years’ jail after the sessions court found him guilty of four counts of soliciting and accepting bribes in respect of several projects involving the rural development ministry in 2016.

They lost their appeals which were dismissed by the High Court on March 23, 2021, prompting them to appeal to the Court of Appeal.