Muhyiddin moves to set aside money laundering charges
Published on: Wednesday, October 04, 2023
By:
FMT, V Anbalagan
Muhyiddin Yassin was acquitted and discharged by the High Court of four counts of abuse of power on Aug 15.
Kuala Lumpur: Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has filed an application to set aside three money laundering charges involving about RM200 million linked to the Jana Wibawa programme implemented by his administration.
The Perikatan Nasional chairman also wants the sessions court to grant him a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) from the charges.
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The application, filed by solicitors Messrs Chetan Jethwani & Company on Monday, was made under Section 173(g) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
It claims that the three charges are now “groundless”.
They involve two counts of obtaining RM195 million from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, allegedly the proceeds of illegal activities, which was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB Bank account.
Muhyiddin is alleged to have committed the offences at Menara CIMB KL Sentral at Jalan Stesen Sentral here between Feb 25 and July 16, 2021, and between Feb 8 and July 8, 2022.
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On March 13, he was also charged in the Shah Alam sessions court with one count of receiving RM5 million from an illegal activity.
The case has been transferred to the sessions court here for a joint trial.
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In his affidavit in support of the application, Muhyiddin said the Kuala Lumpur High Court had on Aug 15 acquitted and discharged him of the predicate offences of abuse of power under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The charges related to allegations of abuse of power to obtain RM232.5 million for Bersatu between Feb 8 and Aug 20, 2021.
On Aug 15, Justice Jamil Hussin said the charges did not clearly disclose any offence known to law and were not sufficiently clear to enable Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president, to prepare his defence.
“Since the court has ruled the predicate offences are baseless, it follows that the money laundering charges are also groundless,” said Muhyiddin in his affidavit sighted by FMT.
The prosecution has filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal to overturn Jamil’s ruling.
In a text message to FMT, Chetan said a copy of the application was served on the prosecution on Monday.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told FMT the prosecution had written to sessions court judge Azura Alwi seeking that its application to stay the trial of the money laundering charges pending the outcome of the Court of Appeal ruling be heard first on Nov 29.
He said the sessions court could then hear Muhyiddin’s application to set aside the money laundering charges.
“Our stay application will be rendered academic if the application to set aside the money laundering charges is heard first and decided,” he said.
The prosecution had filed the stay application accompanied by a certificate of urgency on Sept 21.
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