KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 ― The prosecution objected to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's application seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to review the decision made by its previous panel reinstating four power abuse charges involving RM232.5 million against him.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said this during the mention of the case before Judge Azura Alwi at the Sessions Court today.

According to the documents obtained by the media, the prosecution filed the preliminary objection on April 1, citing the reason that the request by the President of Bersatu was trivial and an abuse of the court process.

Judge Azura set May 8 for another case management.

On February 28, the Court of Appeal ordered the case involving the former prime minister for using his position for bribes amounting to RM232.5 million for Bersatu to be sent back to the Sessions Court for further action.

A panel of three judges chaired by Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail made the unanimous decision after allowing the prosecution’s appeal to set aside the High Court's decision which acquitted the Bersatu president of the four charges on August 15 last year.

Muhyiddin, 76, was charged with using his position as the then Prime Minister and Bersatu president to obtain bribes amounting to RM232.5 million from three companies, namely Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, and also from one Datuk Azman Yusoff, for the party.

He was charged with committing the offences at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Federal Government Administration Centre in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021.

In addition to the four charges, Muhyiddin was also charged with two counts of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM195 million 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, here, between February 25 and July 16, 2021, and between February 8 and July 8, 2022.

Muhyiddin was also charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on March 13 this year with receiving money from illegal activities amounting to RM5 million, and the case had been transferred to the Sessions Court here for a joint trial. ― Bernama