'Azam’s statement on Daim’s alleged undeclared assets subjudice'
Published on: Friday, February 09, 2024
By: FMT
Azam Baki said investigators recently received more information about Daim Zainuddin’s alleged assets and are now working to establish its veracity.
PETALING JAYA: Azam Baki’s statement that Daim Zainuddin may be summoned once again for having undeclared assets is unwarranted and smacks of sub judice, given the pending court charges, says Daim’s legal team.
Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner’s latest remarks on the matter continue to imply that Daim is guilty and also disregards advice by the sessions court judge presiding over the case that all parties refrain from making statements that could affect the proceedings.
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“This is the latest of a continuing series of statements or comments from Azam and MACC on Daim’s alleged holdings, despite the court charges already pending.
“Apart from direct statements, there are also endless leaks through so-called ‘sources’, MACC and otherwise. The statements have consistently implied or expressly stated that Daim is guilty, in clear disregard of the presumption of innocence that is the cornerstone of our criminal justice system,” he said in a statement.
It was reported yesterday that MACC might summon the former finance minister for questioning again after investigators received more information about his alleged assets and are now working to establish its veracity.
“There is a lot of verification work we need to do on his alleged undeclared assets. We also received information that there are other assets that he did not declare. So we are now trying to verify this information,” Azam was reported to have said.
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Rajesh added that Azam’s statement was highly prejudicial to Daim’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
“We strongly urge Azam and MACC to henceforth respect the justice system and the legal process,” he said.
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