KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 ― Tan Sri Musa Aman praised the judiciary and the prosecution team that withdrew close to four dozen corruption and money laundering charges against him today, in a statement welcoming the High Court’s move to acquit the Umno leader on all counts.

The former Sabah chief minister thanked them for conduct he described as objective, professional, independent and without prejudice, and suggested his acquittal was a just outcome based on all available evidence.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the prosecution and judiciary especially to those who acted objectively, professionalism, independent and without prejudice in evaluating the facts of the case for the past two years,” he said.

The High Court acquitted Musa of 30 counts of corruption and 16 money laundering charges allegedly related to the award of logging contracts during his tenure as Sabah’s chief minister this morning, bringing an end to a politically-charged trial that spanned two years.

Musa’s critics would likely see controversy in the ruling that was issued after the prosecution team decided to withdraw all charges.

The Edge reported that deputy public prosecutor Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid had informed the court of the Attorney General’s Chambers request to withdraw all 46 charges.

Musa said the High Court ruling vindicated him. He thanked God for delivering justice while maintaining the line of defence he had adopted all this while - that the charges against him were all politically-motivated.

"Alhamdulillah I express my thanks to Allah as because of his good grace justice prevailed and I was allowed to clear my name,” he wrote.

"What has happened to me and my family, even if it was the result of political differences, I take it as a test by God on me and my family.”

Musa also thanked the press that gave him "the benefit of the doubt”. 

This is the second high-profile discharge of personalities linked to the previous Barisan Nasional administration since the new Perikatan Nasional government was installed in March.

Last month, Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz — the stepson of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak — was conditionally discharged of laundering over US$248 million (or equivalent to over RM1.075 billion based on the currency exchange rate on May 14 when he was conditionally discharged) in funds linked to the 1MDB scandal.