Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been granted a discharge from a corruption case involving the alleged misuse of $27m from Yayasan Akalbudi, a charity he established. Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah accepted the prosecution’s request for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, meaning the charges can potentially be reinstated in the future. Zahid faced 47 charges related to criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering.
Zahid, who maintained his innocence and claimed the charges were politically motivated, expressed gratitude for the court’s decision. His defense team, however, sought a full acquittal and plans to appeal the discharge ruling.
The case against Zahid emerged in 2018, shortly after the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) lost its long-standing power amid public outcry over corruption and the 1MDB state fund scandal. The recent general election saw Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition form a government with UMNO support, despite campaigning against corruption.
The decision to discharge Zahid has raised concerns among reformists and anti-corruption advocates. Maria Chin Abdullah, a former lawmaker and prominent civil society member, criticized the move as detrimental to democracy and called for a more detailed explanation from the prosecution.
Anwar Ibrahim, who pledged to combat corruption impartially, has stated he will not interfere with judicial proceedings. Zahid’s trial, which commenced in November 2019, had seen substantial progress with 99 witnesses for the prosecution and 15 for the defense before the recent discharge.
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