COURT SETS JULY 9 FOR MUHYIDDIN’S REVIEW BID
Ex-PM seeking five-judge appeals court panel to restore acquittal
FORMER prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is seeking a five-member Court of Appeal panel to hear his last legal bid to restore his discharge and acquittal ruling on four abuse of power charges relating to the Jana Wibawa scandal.
The Pagoh member of parliament stated this during the management of the case yesterday.
The court then told Muhyiddin’s defence team to write to the appellate court’s president, Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, before fixing July 9 to hear the matter.
The court will also hear the prosecution’s preliminary objections and issues of merit related to the case on the same date.
The respondents (prosecution) must file their affidavit before April 26 and Muhyiddin must reply to the respondent’s contention before May 10.
Muhyiddin’s counsel Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik confirmed this when contacted.
The 76-year-old Parti Pribumiu Bersatu Malaysia president was appealing the entire decision made by Court of Appeal justices Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Datuk Azmi Ariffin and Datuk S.M. Komathy Suppiah.
The judges, on Feb 28, allowed the prosecution to reinstate four power abuse charges and ordered the case to be remitted to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
The charges against Muhyiddin were linked to the Jana Wibawa programme during his tenure.
The prosecution’s appeal came after a High Court judge on Aug 15 last year acquitted and released Muhyiddin of the charges, ruling that they were all defective and in bad faith.
On March 10 last year, Muhyiddin was charged with four counts of using his then prime minister and Bersatu president positions to obtain 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.
He had allegedly committed the offences at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Federal Government Administration Centre in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020 and Aug 20, 2021.
On April 18, Muhyiddin, who is also Perikatan Nasional chairman, filed an application to quash the four charges under Section 23 (1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act.