THE Public Prosecutor did not object to the application by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to be acquitted of 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering relating to the Akalbudi Foundation funds he founded.
Deputy Head of Prosecution Division II, Datuk Badius Zaman Ahmad, told the High Court today that the Public Prosecutor has no objection to Ahmad Zahid's application filed on January 28.
Badius Zaman said that his party did not file an affidavit in response to the application and that he was only instructed to appear at today's proceedings.
"With permission, we were presented this morning with the Malaysian Bar's objection to the DNA application.
"There is no objection to the application (for DNA) ... I leave it to the court (to decide)," he said.
The Malaysian Bar intervened as amicus curiae (friend of the court) to oppose the move.
High Court Judge Nurulhuda Nur'aini Mohamad Nor, however, said the court would not rule on the application at this stage.
She explained that the Malaysian Bar’s upcoming appeal at the Court of Appeal, scheduled for April 8, challenges the High Court’s refusal to grant leave for a judicial review on Zahid’s DNAA.
Making a decision now could render that appeal “academic,” she added.
She said it was up to the Court of Appeal to rule on the application for leave to appeal filed by the Malaysian Bar to challenge the Attorney General's (AG) action to discontinue proceedings against Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which will be heard on April 8.
On Sept 4, 2023, the High Court granted Ahmad Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) following the prosecution's request, while on January 28, Zahid filed an application under Section 254 of the Criminal Procedure Code for an acquittal. - February 24, 2026