KUALA LUMPUR: All seven cases against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, comprising four charges of abuse of power and three counts of money laundering, will be tried together.
Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi said she allowed the prosecution's application for all cases to be jointly tried after considering affidavits, oral and written submissions from both parties.
"At this stage, based on the charges in this case and the prosecution's stance, the court is satisfied with the need (to combine cases) as stipulated under Section 165 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
"It reads one series of acts so connected together as to form the same transaction committed by the same person is fulfilled to enable cases to be combined and tried together.
"This can also ensure justice for all and save the time of all parties and prevent inconvenience especially (if it involves) the same witness," she said in her decision today.
Azura said on the confusion in the accused putting in his defence, the court feels that no prejudice will occur to him following the joint trial.
"The charges clear states that he is the accused and the prosecution, had in the last proceedings, stated that it is trite law that it is the prosecution that needs to prove each ingredient of the charges.
"And it is the court's duty is to decide whether each ingredient in the charges, as charged, had been proven against the accused.
"So, there is no issue of confusion in the accused putting in his defence and he can still do so," she said.
At today's proceedings, the prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin while lawyers Datuk Seri K. Kumaraendran and Amer Hamzah Arshad acted for the Pagoh member of parliament.
Amer Hamzah then told the court that Muhyiddin wanted to withdraw hisapplication to strike out the money laundering charges because it had become academic.
Wan Shaharuddin said the prosecution will call 30 witnesses to testify.
He asked the court to set a mention date to enable the fixing of trial dates and he did not object to Muhyiddin's presence to be exempted on the day.
Azura fixed Feb 18 for mention. On March 10,2023, Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, claimed trial to six counts of corruption and power abuse involving RM427.5 million.
The Perikatan Nasional chairman was charged with two counts of receiving RM195 million funds, that are proceeds from unlawful activities between February 25 to July 16, 2021 and February 8 till July 8,2022.
He was also charged with four counts of using his position as the prime minister and Bersatu president to ask RM200 million as a bribe from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd at the Prime Minister's Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya between Feb 8 till 25, 2021.
He was also accused of committing the same offence at the same location, by asking RM32.5 million from Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd and Azman Yusoff for a bribe for the party between March 1 to August, 2020.
On March 13,2023, he was slapped with his seventh charge, which was money laundering amounting to RM5 million funds, from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, which are allegedly proceeds from unlawful activities, at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.
The charge under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 carries a jail term not exceeding 15 years and a fine of at least five times the sum obtained from money laundering or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.