KUALA LUMPUR – The prosecution in the power abuse and money laundering case involving Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has objected to the former prime minister’s application to stay the proceedings at the sessions court here, pending a decision of his review application at the Court of Appeal.
In the prosecution’s affidavit-in-reply obtained by the media today, deputy public prosecutor Lim Wai Keong stated the prosecution objected to the stay.
This was based on the grounds that the applicant (Muhyiddin) was attempting to delay the hearing of the case by filing the review application against the February 28 decision of his appeal by the appellate court, among others.
“There is no compelling reason and strong public interest in this case that requires a stay of the proceedings at the sessions court…therefore, the prosecution requests the sessions court to dismiss the applicant’s application and proceed with the (hearing of the) case without further delay,” said Lim in the affidavit which was filed yesterday (May 23).
The application will be heard before judge Azura Alwi on June 13.
Lim also said that Muhyiddin’s review application was frivolous and an abuse of the court process.
There are no exceptional circumstances to justify the Court of Appeal to review a decision made by (a previous panel of) the court, he stated.
The review application has been set for hearing before a panel of five Court of Appeal judges on July 9.
Last February 28, the Court of Appeal allowed the prosecutor’s application to set aside the high court’s decision, made on August 15 last year, which acquitted Bersatu president Muhyiddin of four charges of abuse of position to obtain bribes amounting to RM232.5 million in connection with the Jana Wibawa project for the party.
Muhyiddin, 76, was charged with using his position as the then-prime minister and Bersatu president to obtain bribes amounting to RM232.5 million from three companies – namely Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, as well as from one Datuk Azman Yusoff for the party.
He was charged with committing the offences at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Federal Government Administration Centre in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021.
In addition to the four charges, Muhyiddin was also charged with two counts of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM195 million from Bukhary Equity, which was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB Bank account.
The offences were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank KL Tower branch, Jalan Stesen Sentral, here, between February 25 and July 16, 2021, and between February 8 and July 8, 2022.
Muhyiddin was also charged at the Shah Alam sessions court on March 13 this year with receiving money from illegal activities amounting to RM5 million, and the case had been transferred to the sessions court here for a joint trial. – May 25, 2024