Second PM to go down in history

KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is the second former prime minister after Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be charged in court.

Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional chairman, was charged at the Sessions Court yesterday with four counts of power abuse involving a total of RM232.5mil in gratification and two counts of money laundering involving RM195mil.

Najib was sentenced by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28, 2020 to 12 years’ jail and a RM210mil fine after he was found guilty of seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position in the RM42mil SRC International case in connection with the sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

On Aug 23 last year, the Federal Court rejected his final appeal and ordered him to serve his sentence. Najib has applied for leave to review this decision at the Federal Court, which is set to deliver its decision by the end of this month.

Najib is also facing a trial over RM2.28bil of 1MDB funds at another High Court.

Earlier this month, Najib was acquitted by the High Court of a power abuse charge over the tampering of the 1MDB audit report after the court found no causal link between the amendments he had ordered and the alleged gratification.

His co-accused, former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy, was acquitted of an abetment charge.