Malaysia DPM Ahmad Zahid gets discharge not amounting to acquittal in charity foundation graft case

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s High Court on Monday (Sep 4) granted a request from prosecutors to drop all corruption charges against the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his charity foundation graft case.

The court granted Ahmad Zahid, who was facing 47 charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), bribery and money laundering, a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA). He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

When the court grants a DNAA, it means that the accused is discharged from the current charges without being acquitted of the charges, the New Straits Times reported.

It added that the prosecution still has the option to refile the charges or reinstate the case at a later time should new evidence surface.

“My family and I are grateful to God because the court decided to drop the 47 charges against me,” the deputy prime minister was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today outside the High Court after the charges against him were dropped. 

Meanwhile, his lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik told local media that they will file an appeal at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday against Monday’s decision. They will instead be seeking a full acquittal of all the charges against Ahmad Zahid.

Ahmad Zahid, 70, was facing 47 charges – 12 for CBT, eight for bribery and 27 for money laundering – involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB).

YAB is a charity foundation. The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president is the foundation’s trustee and sole signatory for cheques.

According to the Malay Mail, Ahmad Zahid’s trial began on Nov 18, 2019, and about 116 days of hearing have taken place since then.

On Dec 2 last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim appointed Ahmad Zahid as his deputy and as Minister of Rural and Regional Development.

In September last year, Ahmad Zahid was acquitted in a separate foreign visa system bribery case. The High Court judge then was quoted by Malaysian media as saying that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.