Bernama reported deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin as saying that the chief justice had directed that the appeal hearing be scheduled for late November or early December.
“The appellant (prosecution) is prepared and submissions are ready. However, the respondent (Syed Saddiq), represented by lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, requested for the hearing to be set in January, but the court did not agree.
“Nevertheless, the court has directed both parties, especially the respondent, to submit a letter before a new case management date is fixed,” Wan Shaharuddin told reporters when contacted after online case management proceedings before Federal Court deputy registrar Mahyun Yusof.
Meanwhile, Hisyam confirmed the matter when contacted, adding that his team had been asked to provide reasons for requesting a January hearing through a letter that would be sent to the court today.
On June 25, a three-member Court of Appeal panel unanimously acquitted Syed Saddiq, setting aside his conviction and the sentence of seven years’ imprisonment, two strokes of the cane and a RM10 million fine imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 2023.
In allowing the former youth and sports minister’s appeal, Justice Noorin Badaruddin said the appellant should have been acquitted without his defence being called during the trial.
A day later, the Attorney-General’s Chambers filed an appeal at the Federal Court against the decision, with the prosecution submitting its petition of appeal on Sept 22.
Syed Saddiq was found guilty in November 2023 of abetting in CBT involving more than RM1 million belonging to Bersatu Youth, and another count of dishonestly misappropriating property totalling more than RM120,000 also belonging to the wing.
The former Bersatu Youth chief was also convicted on two counts of money laundering for transferring a total of RM100,000 to his personal account from a company linked to the youth wing, Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
He was sentenced to three years’ jail and one stroke of the rotan on the CBT charge, two years and another stroke of the cane on the misappropriation charge, and another two-year jail term for each of the money laundering offences.
The Muda founder was also fined RM10 million.