KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was slapped with two counts of money laundering charges at the Sessions Court here today, on top of four counts of corruption charges in which he was accused him of soliciting bribes of over RM230 million.
Muhyiddin was alleged to have deposited up to RM195 million in proceeds believed to be bribes in a CIMB account belonging to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia on two separate occasions between February and June 2021 and February and July 2022.
The charges were filed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
For the first count, the Bersatu president was accused of receiving RM120 million from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd on behalf of his party and depositing it into its CIMB account. The alleged offence was committed at the bank’s Menara KL, Stesen Sentral, branch here between February 25 and July 16, 2021.
Under the second charge, Muhyiddin was also accused of receiving bribes worth RM75 million from the same company and had deposited it into the same account at the same branch but in the year after. The alleged offence was said to have taken place between February 8 and July 8, 2022.
If convicted, Muhyiddin faces an imprisonment term not exceeding 15 years and liable to a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity or instrumentalities of an offence at the time the offence was committed or RM5 million, whichever is the higher.
He claimed trial for both charges.
A 10-member prosecution team led by Senior Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh had read the charges before Sessions Court Judge, Azura binti Alwi.
Muhyiddin was represented by a team of eight lawyers, among them Datuk K. Kumaraendran, Rosli Dahlan and Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, MP for Kota Baru and PAS secretary-general.
Muhyiddin posted bail of RM2 million with two bailors. He was also told to surrender his passport.
Just outside the Duta Court Complex where Muhyiddin was charged, hundreds of supporters had gathered at the entrance in a show of support for the Bersatu president.
Last night, Muhyiddin told his supporters that he is innocent and that the charges that were leveled against him were politically motivated.
Muhyiddin is the second high-ranking Bersatu leader to be charged in court since last year’s November general election, when his party and coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) won the second biggest share of seats, denied any single party to form a government and forced a hung Parliament.
Despite reported negotiations that took place days after the election results were announced, PN failed to muster the support needed to recapture federal power.
Shortly after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took office, the Pakatan Harapan chairman hinted that there is incriminating evidence that leaders in the Muhyiddin administration had abused their positions to receive bribes.
MACC eventually froze Bersatu’s account in February and charged several individuals including former Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu division deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad with corruption in connection with Jana Wibawa projects to help Bumiputera contractors.
