KUALA LUMPUR – The prosecution in former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s ongoing court case is pushing for a joint trial of four charges of power abuse and three of money laundering, involving funds worth over RM232 million.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin told judge Azura Alwi that the applications for the joint trial had been filed yesterday, causing Muhyiddin’s lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to request for more time to reply to the bid.
According to a report by Malaysiakini, Azura then ordered the defence to file their affidavit in response to the joint trial application by June 30.
The prosecution also has two weeks from June 30 to file their responses to the defence’s affidavit.
The judge set August 4 for the next mention of the case after considering Muhyiddin’s two pending applications before the high court – one to transfer the case from the sessions court to the high court, and the other to strike out the four counts of power abuse.
Hisyam later told reporters that the defence team for the Perikatan Nasional chairman and Bersatu president will object to the joint trial bid, noting that the counsel had only received copies of the application this morning.
He also stood by the bid to strike out, reiterating that the power abuse charges allegedly neither disclose any offence nor state the particulars of the offence.
The application to strike out, which was filed in April, said the charges were “illegal” and caused “irreparable harm” to Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh MP.
In March, Muhyiddin had claimed trial to the four charges framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The three counts of money laundering, which accuse the 76-year-old of receiving over RM120 million in illicit funds, were framed under Section 4(1)b of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
If found guilty, he faces a maximum of 15 years in jail and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity at the time the offence was committed, or RM5,000,000, whichever is higher.
Several companies were named in the charge sheet for Muhyiddin’s corruption trial, with some corporations appearing to be linked to the Jana Wibawa scheme he introduced during his tenure as prime minister, while others are said to be related to Yayasan Al-Bukhary. – The Vibes, May 26, 2023
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