PETALING JAYA: The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court will not be hearing Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s application to have his three remaining money-laundering charges set aside in order to get a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for now.
This was after the court granted the prosecution's application to obtain a temporary suspension of proceedings for the three cases amounting to RM200 million involving the former prime minister, Sinar Harian reported.
Judge Azura Alwi in her decision said the court allowed the stay, pending the prosecution’s related appeal at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on the Jana Wibawa project.
“The stay application is allowed in the interest of justice as there are urgent decisions to be made (in the Court of Appeal) and this case at the Sessions Court should be suspended for the sake of justice for all parties,” she said on Thursday (Feb 15).
Azura said the decision was also made following several other applications that have been filed at the Court of Appeal.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin suggested the court set a new date for the appeal which was also agreed by Amer Hamzah Arshad, the lawyer representing the Perikatan Nasional leader.
The court then set March 4 as the mention date for lawyers to provide updates on the appeal at the Court of Appeal.
Following an application from Muhyiddin’s lawyers and with no objections from the prosecution, the Sessions Court also allowed Pagoh MP to be excused from attending the March 4 session.
The Bersatu president is facing two charges of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM195mil from Bukhary Equity, which was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB Bank account.
The offences were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank Menara KL Branch, Jalan Stesen Sentral between Feb 25 and July 16, 2021, and between Feb 8 and July 8, 2022.
On March 13 last year, Muhyiddin was also charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court with receiving money from illegal activities amounting to RM5mil. The case was then transferred to the Sessions Court for a joint trial.
April 18, 2023 Muhyiddin applied at the High Court to have the four abuse of power charges struck out, with the High Court on Aug 15, 2023 then deciding to strike out the four charges for not disclosing any offence known in law and to also acquit the former prime minister.
The prosecution then filed an appeal against Muhyiddin’s acquittal on Sept 21, 2023 while Muhyiddin on Oct 2, 2023 filed an application at the Sessions Court to seek the setting aside of his remaining three money-laundering charges.
