'Charges politically motivated to begin with' - Muhyiddin
KUALA LUMPUR - Perikatan Nasional Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has claimed that the four corruption charges brought against him for alleged misuse of power were politically motivated and represented a misuse of court powers by certain parties.
Muhyiddin, aged 76, announced that despite the charges, he would continue his work and engage with the community to clarify the actions taken by the prosecuting parties.
He highlighted that the charges levied against him were false and did not adhere to the relevant laws under consideration.
"From the outset, it appeared as if this matter never had any basis.
"I have been informed that this is the first instance of such charges. These charges have always been politically motivated, regardless of the fact that I have not committed any offenses according to legal standards, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, or other criminal laws," he said.
Muhyiddin conveyed these sentiments during a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday, following his release from four charges of misuse of power allegedly involving bribes totaling RM232.5 million for his party.
Upon his release, Muhyiddin's supporters enthusiastically chanted slogans like 'referendum' and 'takbirs' in recognition of his situation.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted his application to dismiss the four charges of abuse of power involving the mentioned bribes for his party, Bersatu.
The decision was made by Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin, who deemed the four charges to be flawed, baseless, and vague.
Muhyiddin expressed confidence in his release from the court case, and his belief was reinforced when the judge echoed similar sentiments in his decision.
"The defence presented on my behalf was robust and built upon a strong foundation. As a result of these compelling arguments, the court has made the decision to dismiss the charges against me.
"I would like to express my gratitude to my wife and all those who provided me with unwavering support throughout this challenging period. Moving forward, our commitment to upholding justice and combatting corruption and the abuse of power remains steadfast," he affirmed.
On March 10, Muhyiddin entered a plea of not guilty in the Sessions Court on four counts of alleged misuse of power involving bribes totaling RM232.5 million, along with two charges of money laundering totaling RM195 million, spanning the years 2020 to 2022.
This legal proceeding marked Muhyiddin as the second former Prime Minister, following Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to face charges under the same legal provisions.
Additionally, on March 13, Muhyiddin was presented with a seventh charge at the Shah Alam Sessions Court, where he, as the President of Bersatu, was accused of accepting proceeds from illicit activities.
The sum of RM5 million was alleged to have been transferred from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd into the party's AmBank account.
