KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — The High Court today acquitted former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of four charges involving Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd's funds, as the prosecution today said it does not want to proceed with trial on those charges for now.
In this trial, Muhyiddin faced seven charges:
- four counts of alleged power abuse to obtain RM225.3 million in bribes for his party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (from Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Datuk Seri Azman Yusoff, KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd, Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd), and
- three counts of alleged money laundering involving money that Bersatu received from Bukhary Equity.
Following the High Court's decision after the prosecution's request for a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA), Muhyiddin now only faces three power abuse charges involving RM25.3 million in alleged bribes for his party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin delivered her decision this afternoon on whether to only grant a DNAA or to acquit Muhyiddin on those four charges.
Ultimately, the judge decided to acquit, in the interests of justice.
Just before lunch break today, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the High Court that the prosecution had decided to not continue with four of the seven charges in Muhyiddin's trial, saying this was after the prosecution had looked at the case as a whole.
"With that, the prosecution respectfully applies for Section 254(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code to be applied, to apply for an order from this court for a DNAA on the accused. We apply for DNAA only on those charges," he said.
Muhyiddin's lawyers had however urged the High Court to acquit Muhyiddin on the four charges related to Bukhary Equity, instead of only granting a DNAA.
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