Jana Wibawa project: Muhyiddin seeks to strike out three money laundering charges

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will file an application to set aside three more charges of money laundering, amounting to RM200 million, related to the Jana Wibawa project.

Lawyer, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, representing Muhyiddin, informed the court that the application, made under Section 173 (g) of the Criminal Procedure Code, would be filed soon.

“In addition, we will also file a written application for the return of the client’s (Muhyiddin) passport,” said Hisyam.

Muhyiddin, 76, was not present at today’s proceedings, because his presence was excluded.

Today was initially set for the hearing of the prosecution’s application so that all seven charges against Muhyiddin be tried together.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said that the prosecution applied for the hearing for the application for all seven charges to be tried together, postponed to another date.

“This is because the prosecution filed a notice of appeal on Aug 15, and an appeal petition was filed in the Court of Appeal today against the decision of the High Court, which discharged and acquitted the accused (Muhyiddin), after allowing the accused’s application to set aside the four charges of power abuse.

“The Court of Appeal set the case management for the appeal on Sept 27. Both parties agreed on the mention date of the case in this court, on Nov 29,” he said.

Hisyam did not object to the postponement.

“However, we request that the presence of our client (Muhyiddin) on Nov 29 be excluded,” he said.

Sessions Court Judge, Azura Alwi, has fixed Nov 29 for the mention of the case, and both parties need to inform the court about the development of the case management at the Court of Appeal, before deciding on the exclusion of Muhyiddin’s presence.

“Developments regarding the management of the case need to be filed in the system,” she said.

The Bersatu president faces two charges of receiving money from illegal activities, amounting to RM195 million, from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, which was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB Bank account.

He is alleged to have committed the act at CIMB Bank Menara KL Branch, Jalan Stesen Sentral, here, between Feb 25 and July 16, 2021, and Feb 8 and July 8, 2022.

The Pagoh Member of Parliament was also charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court on March 13 this year, with receiving money from illegal activities, amounting to RM5 million. The case has been transferred to the Sessions Court here for a joint trial.

On Aug 15, the High Court discharged and acquitted Muhyiddin of four charges of abuse of power for bribes amounting to RM232.5 million, for the Bersatu party related to the Jana Wibawa project, after allowing Muhyiddin’s application to quash all the charges.

-- BERNAMA