KUALA LUMPUR: Former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin is expected to be charged in court next week.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki when contacted by the New Straits Times confirmed the matter.

This comes after the businessman was allowed to be discharged from the hospital today after being admitted for treatment.

Earlier, a local news portal reported that Azam said Daim's lawyers have already been in touch with the graftbuster's investigators to report the latest situation of the former minister.

"From my understanding, he was allowed to leave early this morning. Now, investigators are communicating with Daim's lawyers to determine a date for him to appear in court.

"Most likely (prosecution in court) next week," he was reported as saying.

Yesterday, Azam was reported to have said that Daim should have been brought to court on charges under the MACC Act, but the prosecution was deferred because the former minister was undergoing treatment in a private hospital for undisclosed health issues.

Azam was quoted as saying that his office had obtained permission from the Attorney General's Chambers to prosecute the former minister since last week, but was disappointed when Daim's treating doctor failed to be transparent with MACC investigators, causing the true reason for his inability to appear in court.

He said the court prosecution date would be disclosed to the media after all the information is obtained later.

He also said his office does not know the real reason Daim was admitted to the hospital.

On Tuesday, Daim's wife, Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for failing to comply with notices from the MACC by not declaring assets and claimed trial.

This comes after Naimah and her two sons, Amir and Amin, on Jan 10, were summoned to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to have their statements recorded.

The commission said this was done to ascertain values of some of the high-value assets domestic and abroad held under the companies belonging to them in relation to the probe on Daim.

The MACC also said a notice was served to Daim under Section 36(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009, on 7 June 2023 while his family members were served notices under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/01/1005670/daim-be-charged-next-week-says-macc