KUALA LUMPUR: Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd director Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul, 49, has applied to strike out a corruption charge filed against him two months ago.
He was charged on April 5 this year with offering a bribe of RM500,000 a year for 15 years to former communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa in connection with the takeover of the KL Tower concession.
The notice was filed through the law firm Messrs Chetan Jethwani & Company at a KL sessions court on May 31 and confirmed by his lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, during proceedings before sessions court judge Suzana Hussin today.
Hamid’s lawyers claim the charge was flawed and unfounded because it did not meet the requirements for the offence under Section 16 (b)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
They added that the charge failed to comply with the provisions of Sections 152, 153 and 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code because one of the important details in the charge, which is the date, was not specified in the charge.
Deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat confirmed receiving the notice.
Suzana then set June 19 for both parties to file their written submissions and set July 18 for a decision.
Hydroshoppe was also charged with committing the same offence before a different judge. During proceedings before judge Rozina Ayob, Amer Hamzah told the court that the defence had filed an application to stay proceedings, pending the disposal of Hamid’s case.
Meanwhile, Mahadi requested the cases against Hydroshoppe and Hamid be tried together, but the defence objected. Rozina fixed July 5 to hear applications by both parties.
Hamid has denied the charge of offering the bribe – through Tan Ser Lay, 60 – as an inducement for Annuar, in his former role as the minister – to expedite the takeover of the KL Tower concession by the company.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at the communications and multimedia ministry in Putrajaya between July and August 2022.