KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has dismissed an application for leave for judicial review by the Malaysian Bar in its bid to challenge the Attorney General's decision that halted prosecution against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the Yayasan Akalbudi case.
In his decision here on Thursday (June 27), Justice Amarjeet Singh said the Bar did not fulfill the threshold required for leave to be granted.
The court also dismissed the Bar's application to refer three constitutional questions to the Federal Court.
It ordered RM10,000 in costs, to be paid by the Bar.
Lawyer Steven Thiru represented the Bar, while Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan appeared for the AG.
Ahmad Zahid was represented by lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik.
On Dec 2 last year, the Bar filed the application for leave and named the AG and Ahmad Zahid as the first and second respondents, respectively.
It sought relief from the court for an order of certiorari to remove and quash the AG's decision on Sept 4, last year to apply for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in Ahmad Zahid's case, and a declaration that the Sept 4 decision was null and void and made in excess of the jurisdiction granted to the AG.
On Sept 4, 2023, the High Court granted Ahmad Zahid a DNAA for 47 charges related to criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds, after the prosecution informed that the AG wanted to halt the proceedings against Ahmad Zahid to scrutinise new evidence.
