Azeez’s lawyer, Joshua Tay, said the date was fixed during an online case management before deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron today.
“The parties were instructed to file in their written submissions on or before Aug 20,” Tay told FMT.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Azmi Mashud represented the prosecution.
On March 12, High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin turned down Azeez’s striking-out application on grounds the charges were not defective.
“The accused failed to show how he was prejudiced and could not present his defence. It is premature at this stage for the court to decide on the charges,” he said.
Azeez, the former Tabung Haji chairman, was slapped with three corruption charges amounting to RM5.2 million and 10 money laundering charges amounting to RM139.3 million.
He is said to have received the RM5.2 million from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah, a director of Syarikat Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd, in the Klang Valley between December 2010 and April 2018.
He is also accused of receiving RM139.3 million from four companies – Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd, Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd, Pintas Utama Sdn Bhd and AVP Engineering Sdn Bhd.
Azeez contended that the charges were done in bad faith but the prosecution argued that the striking-out bid was premature and an abuse of court process.
In arriving at his decision, Jamil said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had investigated Azeez thoroughly.
“This fact rebutted his contention that the corruption and money laundering charges were mala fide.
“The accused also contended that the charges and present case were not related to the Tabung Haji investigation,” he said.
To this, Jamil said, the attorney-general, who is also the public prosecutor, had discretion to commence any criminal proceedings against accused persons, under any law he deemed proper.
Azeez’s brother Latif, who was initially charged with abetting him on two counts of obtaining a RM4 million bribe – part of the RM5.2 million allegedly received – was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in February.
Azeez had also obtained a stay of proceedings in the sessions court before Judge Azura Alwi pending the outcome of his appeal in the Court of Appeal.
So far, three prosecution witnesses have testified.