Muhyiddin claims trial to abuse of power, money laundering

Muhyiddin claims trial to abuse of power, money laundering

Muhyiddin claims trial to abuse of power, money laundering
Muhyiddin Yassin was today charged with similar offences as former prime minister Najib Razak. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has claimed trial to four counts of abuse of power in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme to obtain RM232.5 million for his political party, Bersatu.

The Bersatu president is also charged with two counts of money laundering amounting to RM195 million.

The 75 year-old Pagoh MP pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him at the sessions court here before judge Azura Alwi.



He is the second former prime minister to be charged after Najib Razak, who was charged and convicted of similar offences previously.

The abuse of power charges were framed under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, while the money laundering charges were brought under the Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla).

Muhyiddin, who is also the Perikatan Nasional chairman, is alleged to have committed the four abuse of power offences at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Feb 8 and Aug 20, 2021.

On the first count, he is said to have used his office to obtain a RM200,000 bribe from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd for his party.




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On the second count, he is alleged to have received RM1 million for his party from Nepturis Sdn Bhd.

For the third charge, he is said to have received RM19.5 million from Mamfor Sdn Bhd, while for the final count, he is accused of accepting RM12 million from businessman Azman Yusoff.

Under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, the offence of using one’s office or position for gratification carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ jail as well as a fine five times the value of gratification involved, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

For the first money laundering charge, Muhyiddin is said to have received some RM120 million from Bukhary Equity, which was deposited into Bersatu’s bank account in CIMB.

On the second count, he is alleged to have accepted RM75 million, also from Bukhary Equity, which was also deposited into the party’s account.

Both offences were allegedly committed at CIMB’s KL Sentral branch between Feb 8, 2020 and July 16, 2021.

Section 4(1)(b) of the Amla refers to the offence of “acquiring, receiving, possessing, disguising, transferring, converting, exchanging, carrying, disposing or using the proceeds of an unlawful activity”.


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It carries a penalty of up to 15 years’ jail and a fine five times the value of the proceeds at the time the offence was committed, or RM5 million, whichever is greater.

Muhyiddin is the latest and senior most Bersatu leader to be charged in connection with the Jana Wibawa programme.

Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad were charged last month with soliciting and accepting bribes.

Azura allowed Muhyiddin bail of RM2 million in two sureties and ordered his passport to be impounded.

The case will be mentioned on May 26.

Solicitor-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh as well as deputy public prosecutors Wan Shahruddin Wan Ladin and Ahmad Akram Gharib prosecuted, while lawyers K Kumaraendran, Rosli Dahlan, Chetan Jethwani and Takiyuddin Hassan represented the eighth prime minister.

The Jana Wibawa programme was introduced in November 2020 by the Muhyiddin-led government as a Covid-19 stimulus initiative to help Bumiputera contractors.

It became mired in controversy after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the costs were too high for some projects which had been approved without going through a tender process.

Muhyiddin was detained by the MACC at 1pm yesterday in connection with the agency’s probe into Jana Wibawa. He was allowed to leave after more than nine hours at the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya.

He has maintained that the charges brought against him were political in nature and meant to tarnish his reputation and the image of Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional.

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Muhyiddin claims trial to abuse of power, money laundering


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