KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — The prosecution is seeking a joint trial of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s four abuse of power charges and three money laundering counts involving over RM232 million.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today that the application was filed yesterday, Malaysiakini reported.
However, counsel Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who represents Muhyiddin, told Judge Azura Alwi that the defence will need time to reply to the joint trial application.
The online news portal reported Judge Azura as ordering the defence to file their affidavit for the joint trial by June 30 and for the prosecution to file any reply to the response within two weeks after June 30.
The report said she also set Aug 4 for the next mention of the case, in light of Muhyiddin’s two pending applications before the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
The first application was to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court, and the second was to strike out the four abuse of power charges.
Teh told reporters later that the defence team would be objecting to the prosecution’s joint trial bid and pointed out they only served copies of the application earlier this morning.
According to Malaysiakini, Teh also reiterated that the abuse of power charges allegedly do not disclose any offence known in law and that the charges do not state the particulars of the offence.
The striking-out application targets the main charges, namely the four power abuse charges, while three money laundering charges hinge on the four predicate charges.
Based on the four charges, Muhyiddin as prime minister of Malaysia and Bersatu president is alleged to have used his position to receive bribes amounting to RM232.5 million from three companies namely Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd as well as Datuk Azman Yusoff for the party.
The 75-year-old was accused of allegedly committing the offence at the Prime Minister’s Office, Main Block, Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya, between March 1, 2020 and Aug 20, 2021, in accordance with Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009.
The Pagoh MP faces 20 years in jail and a fine five times the amount of gratification involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher for the abuse of power charges.
The money laundering was allegedly committed by receiving money banked into Bersatu’s account.
For the money laundering case, he may be sentenced to imprisonment of 15 years and fined five times the amount involved or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
Muhyiddin was first charged on March 10. He claimed trial for all four abuse of power and three money laundering charges.
