SHAH ALAM, Sept 15 - Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was acquitted of four of seven charges linked to the Jana Wibawa project by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
Muhyiddin, 79, was acquitted and discharged of using his position to obtain and launder RM200 million in bribes after the prosecution applied to discontinue the case.
Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin issued the ruling after granting Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib’s leave to discontinue the case under Section 254(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“Accordingly, the court acquits and discharges the accused of the four charges,” she said today, according to a Harian Metro report.
Muhyiddin was charged in his capacity as then prime minister and Bersatu president with using his position to obtain RM200 million in gratuities for the political party from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd.
The charge relates to the Jana Wibawa project and allegedly took place at the Prime Minister’s Office at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021.
The charge was brought under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ prison and a fine of five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever higher, upon conviction.
Muhyiddin also faces three charges of receiving RM200 million in proceeds from illegal activities from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd.
The money was allegedly deposited into Bersatu’s AmBank and CIMB Bank accounts in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022.
Muhyiddin still faces three charges of abusing his position to obtain RM25.3 million in bribes for the party from Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd and KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd - charges also linked to the Jana Wibawa project.
