IPOH: Two former Perak Pakatan state exco members and three others who were charged with corruption were acquited by the Sessions Court on Friday.
In his less than five minutes judgement, Sessions judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had failed to prove a prima facie case.
"As such, I am acquitting all of you without your defence being called and the bail money shall be returned to your respective bailers," he told the court here which was packed with supporters and relatives of all the accused.
In the dock were former PKR members Capt (Rtd) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, two former Perak Tengah district councillors Usaili Alias and Zul Hassan and businessman Fairul Azrim Ismail.
Perak State Development Corporation technician Ruslan Sahat had his charges dropped last August following his demise.
All five faced 16 counts of accepting and asking for bribes over a RM180mil development project in Seri Iskandar.
Jamaluddin and Mohd Osman, along with Datuk Hee Yit Foong of the DAP, were blamed for the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat Perak government last year after they quit their parties to become Barisan Nasional-friendly Independents.
While Zul and Fairul were charged with accepting sexual favours, the others were accused of accepting money.
Met outside the court, all expressed their relief for the decision.
Osman thanked his supporters for standing by him since the trial started.
"The matter has dragged on long enough," he said. Jamaluddin said he had expected the results.
"I believed in the country's judiciary system and my case had proven the system will not victimised the innocent," he said.
Usaili, meanwhile, said justice had been served.
Speaking in a voice choked with emotions, Usaili had this piece of advice:
"Be careful with the friends you keep in the political circle."
MACC deputy public prosecutor Mohd Shahrullah Khan Nawab Zadah Khan said the prosecution would appeal against the decision.
Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin, who had since turned Barisan Nasional-friendly independents, were represented by Abdul Roni Abdul Rahman, Surjan Singh for Usaili, M. Saravanan for Zul and Mohd Asri Othman for Fairul Azrim.
Together with another Barisan-friendly independent Datuk Hee Yit Foong, who is Jelapang assemblyman, Barisan returned to rule Perak.
A total of 30 witnesses were called during the trial, which began on Oct 12 last year.
During the hearing, it was revealed that the MACC had procured the services of an agent provocateur and women to offer sexual services.
Clips allegedly showing one of the accused having sex with a woman was also shown in open court during the trial.
Two former Perak PKR exco members and three others facing corruption charges had their charges acquitted by the Ipoh Sessions Court, without their defence being called, and were freed.
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