KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation director-general Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid has been granted a full acquittal by the high court here over her criminal breach of trust (CBT) case involving RM50.4 million in government funds.
The judgement delivered by judicial commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain comes 16 months after the former spy chief was given a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) by the high court, which meant she could have been hauled back to court for retrial.
Today’s verdict in favour of Hasanah follows her appeal against last April’s ruling.
In her judgement, Malaysiakini quoted Roz Mawar as describing the DNAA on Hasanah, which has been granted for over a year now, as unfair and that justice was not served this way.
On October 25, 2018, Hasanah had pleaded not guilty to the CBT charge under Section 409 of the Penal Code involving RM50.4 million belonging to the government.
The prosecution alleged she committed the offence when she served as director-general of the Prime Minister’s Department’s research division in Putrajaya between April 30 and May 9, 2018.
In his ruling in April last year, justice Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh had said that the decision to grant Hasanah a DNAA comes after the prosecution decided to withdraw from prosecuting her.
Article 145(3) of the federal constitution grants the attorney-general the discretion and power to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings.
Shahrir had also said the prosecution provided good and valid reasons behind their refusal to continue trial, and that the latter confirmed that Hasanah will be made to face charges in the future. – The Vibes, August 9, 2022
