Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today failed to produce in court a letter he had concerning an appointment with the Prime Minister to discuss the formation of a new cabinet.
The Umno president who yesterday pledged to show the letter in court today, however, explained that he had failed to obtain the letter from the Prime Minister’s Office.
His excuse was that, the Prime Minister’s political secretary had yet to be officially appointed and therefore could not issue the letter.
Zahid then stood up in the dock and apologised for all that had happened.
“I am sorry,” he said.
However, his apology did not appease deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran who said Zahid’s failure to produce the letter showed that he was again making up stories.
“Yesterday, he said he had the letter with him but now he says the letter could not be issued.
“He said on record that the letter was sent to him. The accused is again making up stories,” she said adding that it was clear that there was never a meeting with the Prime Minister scheduled at all.
High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah listened to Zahid’s apology to the court over the “confusion and misunderstanding” yesterday related to his seeking of a one-day postponement of his corruption trial.
He said he accepted Zahid’s lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik’s explanation that the misunderstanding arose due to the miscommunication between Zahid and his lawyers, and the wrong choice of words used when Zahid’s lawyers yesterday sought for the one-day postponement of the trial.
“I also take into account the sincere apology by the accused that there was a misunderstanding. And of no less importance was the undertaking by the accused’s counsel that this would not occur again. I find no case for contempt to be made out,” the judge said.
While finding no case of contempt of court against Zahid, the judge however issued a general warning.
“As a general statement and warning, this court wishes to make it clear that the court will not tolerate any attempt to mislead. Should there be any hint of attempts to mislead the court or contemptuous conduct, this court makes it abundantly and crystal clear that it will not hesitate to impose fine or imprisonment,” the judge said.
Earlier, Zahid had read out a handwritten note of apology that he had prepared, stating that he had no intention to mislead the court over his reason yesterday to seek for a one-day postponement of his trial.
“Yang Arif, I agree with all the explanations given by my learned lawyer and I openly apologise for this confusion and misunderstanding.
“And I don’t intend at all to mislead this court, and I am very respectful of Yang Arif and respectful of this honourable court. Once again, I apologise for the confusion,” he said in Malay to the judge while standing up from the accused’s dock.
Hisyam had assured that this incident would not recur.
“My Lord, the accused person has apologised for the whole confusion, whole misunderstanding it takes great humility for the accused person to make an apology in open court.
“Very certain that this will never happen again. An apology is good enough,” Hisyam had said after having argued that the court could use the alternative option of accepting an apology instead of citing Zahid for contempt.
Earlier report: Mar 2, Prosecution applies to cite Zahid for Contempt over Meeting with Muhyiddin