KUALA LUMPUR — DAP secretary general Anthony Loke today called on Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun to explain the prosecution’s application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at a late stage in his Yayasan Akalbudi trial.
Loke said that while the DAP respects the court’s process and decision, an open explanation is needed for the sake of justice and accountability.
“This explanation is important to ensure the confidence of the public and the international community in the country’s legal system is always preserved.
“DAP will also always uphold the principle of separation of power between judicial, executive and legislative branches and ensure there is no executive intervention in any court case,” he said in a statement posted on his Facebook account.
He had been hit with 47 charges comprising 27 counts of money laundering, 12 counts of criminal breach of trust, and eight counts of bribery charges of over RM21.25 million in alleged bribes.
The High Court granted the DNAA order for Zahid after the prosecution applied for it yesterday, saying it would not continue the Yayasan Akalbudi trial.
A DNAA means an accused person can face trial for the same charges in the future if the prosecution decides to reinstate them.
The defence had pushed for a full acquittal, but was refused by the High Court. MM
Stay strong, PAS MP tells DAP after Zahid discharged
Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden says he ‘sympathises’ with DAP having to accept the matter for the sake of the unity government.
PETALING JAYA: A PAS MP has cynically come out in “solidarity” with DAP over Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi being granted a conditional discharge in his trial on corruption charges.
Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden said DAP leaders and members should “stay strong” in this “tough time”, saying he knows they have to come to terms with the Zahid decision for the sake of the unity government.
“In the past, you tried everything to get Zahid thrown into prison. Today, you are with him in Putrajaya.
“If Zahid’s party withdraws support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the government will start to crumble. So some parties have to make sacrifices and be sacrificed for the sake of ‘unity’.
Earlier today, Zahid was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on 47 charges involving corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in the Yayasan Akalbudi case.
The conditional discharge allows the prosecution to resume the case against Zahid or bring a new case in the future based on similar facts and evidence from the present case.
In delivering the decision, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was still investigating the case after Zahid made representations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers .
He also said the decision to grant a discharge was in view of a royal commission of inquiry being formed to look into claims by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas about selective prosecution.
Zahid had been standing trial on charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi, and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as home minister.
On April 10 this year, the prosecution said Zahid’s lawyers had sent representations to the AGC, which was looking into the matter, while MACC was also conducting further investigations after a second round of representations, running into 200 pages, had been made. FMT
MALAY MAIL / FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
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