Lead prosecutor in Zahid graft case dropped, report says

The lead prosecutor in the corruption trial of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been dropped from the case, the New Straits Times reported today, days after speculation began swirling over the fate of Raja Rozela Raja Toran, who had been leading the prosecution team from the start. 

"She is no longer with the team," the daily quoted sources as saying.

Raja Rozela herself declined to comment when contacted by NST. 

"I am a public servant... I am not allowed to comment. My apologies," she was reported as saying. 

NST reported last week that Raja Rozela, who had had several tense exchanges with Zahid during the trial, had been absent since Monday, and was not in court when trial resumed on Wednesday. 

It said it had failed to obtain a response from Attorney-General Idrus Harun as well as another deputy public prosecutor involved in the trial, Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.

Raja Rozela's absence had raised questions, including from Bersatu which urged the government to immediately explain the situation. 

"I call upon the attorney-general and the government to provide an immediate and public explanation, including cogent reasons, for the removal or replacement of Raja Rozela. 

"This is essential to maintain public confidence in our criminal justice system," said Bersatu lawyer Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif from the party's legal and constitutional bureau.

Zahid faces 47 charges: 12 of criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight of corruption, and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Among the CBT charges is that he allegedly settled his credit card debts using Yayasan Akalbudi through 44 cheques amounting to some RM1.3 million between January 2013 and December 2016.