Kuala lumpur: The prosecution has withdrawn its appeal against the acquittal of the late Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail, founder of Big Blue Taxi Premium Services, on charges of cheating a company director over a cleaning contract at the KLCC building seven years ago.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy public prosecutor Anis Wahidah Mohamad informed High Court Judge Nurulhuda Nur'ain Mohamad Nor that the prosecution was withdrawing the appeal following Shamsubahrin's death at the age of 60 on February 11. Anis Wahidah stated, 'Since the respondent's death has been formally notified with a death certificate from Kuala Lumpur Hospital, the prosecution sees no point in proceeding with the appeal. Accordingly, the appeal is withdrawn.'

Shamsubahrin's lawyers, Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim and Zulkifli Awang, told the court that their client passed away at 1.32 pm on February 11 due to colon cancer. Consequently, Judge Nurulhuda Nur'ain struck out the appeal.

On June 7, 2024, Sessions Court Judge Azrul Darus acquitted and discharged Shamsubahrin after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him. Shamsubahrin had pleaded not guilty on February 9, 2022, to charges of cheating, which alleged that he had misled a director of Innoseven Sdn Bhd into believing he could secure a cleaning contract for the KLCC building on the company's behalf.

As a result of the alleged deception, the man had supposedly handed over a Maybank cheque for the sum of RM750,000 as a reward to the accused at a law firm in Pantai Dalam, Brickfields, on May 24, 2019. Shamsubahrin was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment, caning, and a possible fine upon conviction.