Kuala lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has formally submitted an application seeking to be acquitted and discharged from 47 charges related to criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering connected to Yayasan Akalbudi funds. The application was filed at the High Court on January 28, with the Public Prosecutor named as the respondent.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid's lawyer, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, stated that the application was motivated by a media statement from the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) dated January 8, which indicated no further action would be pursued regarding the charges. Hisyam emphasized that Ahmad Zahid had been in a state of discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for over two years, and highlighted the need for resolution.
Hisyam further explained that the application, alongside a certificate of urgency, was submitted to the AGC on January 30. The High Court has scheduled February 24 as the date for the hearing. During court proceedings, the Deputy Head of Prosecution Division II, Datuk Badius Zaman Ahmad, requested a postponement, citing the need for additional time to file a reply affidavit. The defense did not contest the postponement request.
High Court judge Nurulhuda Nur'aini Mohamad Nor approved the request for postponement and instructed the prosecution to submit its reply affidavit by February 13. Ahmad Zahid is expected to attend the upcoming hearing.
On January 8, the AGC announced there would be no further action on the 47 charges after a review of new materials and evidence. Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar later clarified that the decision followed a careful examination of six representations made by Ahmad Zahid, assuring that the case classification was not arbitrary.
Previously, on September 4, 2023, the High Court had discharged Ahmad Zahid from these charges without acquittal, following a decision to discontinue proceedings by the prosecution. This ruling was delivered by then High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who has since been promoted to the Federal Court.