The Attorney-General’s Chambers must explain why a former aide to Mohamad Sabu at the Defence Ministry was acquitted of seven graft charges totalling RM6.48 million, said Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.
He said the development was “very concerning and confusing”.
“It raises the same questions as (Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi’s) case. Is this the way the Madani government manages the justice system?” he told Malaysiakini.
Yesterday, it was reported that Mohd Azhar Che Mat Dali - who was Mohamad’s former political secretary - was freed of his graft charges.
However, the reason behind the acquittal has not been revealed.
No media were present when the ruling was delivered and Azhar’s lawyer has refused to divulge details on whether the ruling was made because prosecutors withdrew charges or applied for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
Azhar was charged in 2020 for soliciting and accepting bribes totalling RM6.48 million as gratification for assisting FEHM Entity Sdn Bhd in being selected as the strategic partner and maintenance contractor for the ministry’s intelligence system.
The acquittal comes four months after the prosecution withdrew the Yayasan Akalbudi corruption charge against Zahid, who is the deputy prime minister.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court then allowed the prosecution’s application for a DNAA for Zahid.
The decision is being challenged in court.
‘Veiled rebuke’
However, Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh argued in a speech yesterday that prosecutors are not required to give any reasons when withdrawing charges.
In a separate speech, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat lamented that the judiciary has been unfairly painted as the villain for the public prosecutor’s bid to withdraw criminal charges.
The top judge also urged the public to understand that the courts have limited choices in the matter.
Commenting on this, Wan Fayhsal believed that Tengku Maimun’s remarks was in response to Terrirudin.
“Tengku Maimun gave a veiled rebuke, because (the prosecution’s actions) gave the wrong impression to the public about the judiciary, even though (charges being dropped) were not the judges’ fault,” he said. - Mkini
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