Muhyiddin applies for High Court hearing of Jana Wibawa case

 

Muhyiddin Yassin is accused of abusing his power as prime minister by seeking to obtain RM232 million in 2021 for his party, Bersatu.

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has applied to have his trial on abuse of power and money laundering charges to be heard by the High Court here.

In his application filed today, Muhyiddin said the case involved legal questions of unusual difficulty, especially concerning several provisions in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

He said these questions warranted the trial being held before an experienced judge, adding that the case has garnered great public interest since it involved a former prime minister.

Muhyiddin also said the application did not prejudice any party.

Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, head of MACC’s legal and prosecution division, confirmed the filing of the application and told FMT that unsealed copies of the cause papers have been served on them.

Muhyiddin’s trial had been set by the sessions court to be heard on 11 dates from September to January next year.

Wan Shaharuddin, who is leading the prosecution, had said that up to 30 witnesses would testify during the trial. Among the witnesses include investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz and billionaire Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.

Muhyiddin, 77, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur sessions court with abusing his power as prime minister in connection with the Jana Wibawa programme by seeking to obtain RM232 million for his party, Bersatu, in 2021.

Muhyiddin is also charged with two counts of receiving money from illegal activities, amounting to RM195 million from Bukhary Equity, which was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB Bank account.

He was also charged in the Shah Alam sessions court in March 2023 with receiving money from illegal activities amounting to RM5 million. The case was transferred to the Kuala Lumpur sessions court for a joint trial. - FMT