SHAH ALAM (Bernama): The Sessions Court here issued a warrant of arrest on Wednesday (Aug 25) for the owner of a taxi company with the title "Datuk" after he failed to appear in court to face corruption charges.

       Judge Rozilah Salleh said the arrest warrant is to ensure his presence in court for proceedings on Sept 9.

       Earlier, one of the lawyers representing the "Datuk", Putri Aisyah Zahirah Zakrya, told the court that her client could not attend court proceedings for another charge at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Aug 4 and 8 after contracting COVID-19 on Aug 3.

       Putri Aisyah Zahirah said the accused was admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital from Aug 7 to 11, before being warded again at the Prince Court Hospital between Aug 12 and 23, adding that her client was now recuperating and on sick leave.

       Rozilah, however, said an arrest warrant had been issued as the accused had already been discharged, and the two weeks given to present himself were more than sufficient.

       "The accused is also required to update the MySejahtera application as a medical certificate alone is not sufficient. The court wants to know the current health status of the accused,” she said.

       Putri Aisyah Zahirah then apologised to the court for submitting her client’s medical certificate only on Tuesday (Aug 24), as it was only obtained on the same day.

       In this regard, she pleaded with the court for some leniency on the grounds that the accused was also undergoing treatment for colon cancer. - Bernama