KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General's Chambers has filed an appeal against the acquittal of Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from money-laundering and tax evasion charges last week.
Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz confirmed this when contacted today.
He said the prosecution filed the notice of appeal at the High Court at 4.01pm.
On Oct 28, High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin freed Shafee from two counts of money-laundering related to a RM9.5 million payment he received from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He also acquitted and discharged Shafee from making false declarations to the Inland Revenue Board for not including the RM9.5 million in his tax filing, for the years 2013 and 2014.
Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin in his judgment said there was no illegal activity involved when Shafee received the monies from Najib via two cheques several years ago.
"Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigation officer Fariq Jabar confirmed this when he testified as the eighth prosecution witness in this trial.
"Fariq also confirmed that the monies were not from the proceeds of illegal activities and the transaction (between Shafee and Najib) was according to the law.
"The prosecution is bound by the testimony of its own witnesses," he had said.
Jamil had said the prosecution must establish the conduct of illegal activities in order to prove that the monies received by Shafee was the result of illegal activities.
"However, they (the prosecution) failed to do so.
"I found that there was no direct evidence of predicated offence (illegal activity) and where the money was obtained.
"Therefore, the prosecution failed to prove the key element in this case which is 'illegal activity'," he had added.
Shafee claimed trial to all charges when he was brought to court on Sept 13, 2018.