Prosecution objects to Muhyiddin's application to postpone abuse of position case

Muhyiddin at the court today. Photo by Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR – The prosecution in former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s case for misuse of position for a bribe of RM232.5 million for Parti Bersatu related to the Jana Wibawa Project will object to the defence’s request to postpone the case until its appeal hearing at the Federal Court.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the court that this was because the case was still at the Sessions Court following an order by the Court of Appeal last Feb 28 to reinstate the case at the court.

The prosecution will object to the defence’s application because the highest appeal for cases in the Sessions Court is only at the Court of Appeal as provided by Section 87 of the Court of Judicature Act 1964, he said.

The case came up for mention before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi today.

Earlier, lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, representing Muhyiddin, told the court that the defence had filed a notice of appeal in the Federal Court last Feb 29 to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision.

Azura then set April 3 for mention to know the progress of the appeal application.

Last Feb 28, the Court of Appeal today ordered Muhyiddin’s case for using his position for bribes for Bersatu to be sent back to the Sessions Court for further action.

A panel of three judges chaired by Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail made the unanimous decision after allowing the prosecution’s appeal to set aside the High Court’s decision which acquitted the Bersatu president of the four charges on Aug 15 last year.

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, and also 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 Aug 20, 2021.

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 Menara KL Branch, Jalan Stesen Sentral, here, between Feb 25 and July 16, 2021, and between Feb 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. – BERNAMA